CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Retired Clergy

David Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on housing provision for clergy on their retirement.

Stuart Bell: Clergy in office are provided with a house and are paid a stipend. In retirement, however, they must meet their own housing costs. The derivation of the formula for the pension and retirement lump sum takes this into account.
	Actual arrangement of retirement housing is a matter for the individual, who may purchase a property (if necessary with the aid of a mortgage obtained in the market) or rent. The Church offers, through the Pensions Board and supported by investment capital provided by the Church Commissioners, a scheme of housing assistance which widens the choice available. Subject to the circumstances of the individual, a value-linked mortgage loan may be granted to enable accommodation to be purchased, or a property owned by the Board can be occupied in return for payment of maintenance contributions.
	The Archbishops' Council has recently conducted a review of clergy stipends and the General Synod has agreed that the report should be sent to dioceses for consultation. A copy of the review group's report "Generosity and Sacrifice" (GS 1408) is available in the House of Commons Library. It includes the recommendation that the Pensions Board, the Church Commissioners, dioceses and clergy charities consider the possibility of finding sufficient capital for loans to clergy to enable them to make provision for retirement housing in advance of retirement by lending them the money for a deposit on a house, the mortgage for which could be funded by renting out the property. The Commissioners will give consideration to this in due course.

Ministers

David Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) non- stipendiary ministers there are in each diocese.

Stuart Bell: This information is contained in Statistics of Licensed Ministers (GS Misc 638), a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. For reference see the table.
	
		Summary of licensed ministers in the dioceses, 2000 Provinces of Canterbury and York
		
			  Full-time stipendiary clergy Part-time stipendiary clergy Non-stipendiary ministers Ordained local ministers Readers 
		
		
			 1 Bath and Wells C 239 5 38  335 
			 2 Birmingham C 203 7 29  224 
			 3 Blackburn Y 239  26  251 
			 4 Bradford Y 116 8 10  134 
			 5 Bristol C 142 3 27 6 192 
			 6 Canterbury C 178 3 44  174 
			 7 Carlisle Y 153 4 27  174 
			 8 Chelmsford C 415 1 72  388 
			 9 Chester Y 275 3 33  495 
			 10 Chichester C 338 1 62  299 
			 11 Coventry C 147 6 26  205 
			 12 Derby C 185  38  274 
			 13 Durham Y 239 3 22  168 
			 14 Ely C 154 5 28  167 
			 15 Exeter C 251 3 47  228 
			 16 Gloucester C 159 1 37 10 241 
			 17 Guildford C 201 4 46 21 203 
			 18 Hereford C 115 4 23 4 99 
			 19 Leicester C 166 6 34  216 
			 20 Lichfield C 350 8 29 15 416 
			 21 Lincoln C 226 1 30 21 199 
			 22 Liverpool Y 252 3 24 8 367 
			 23 London C 557  127  232 
			 24 Manchester Y 296 7 37 46 270 
			 25 Newcastle Y 146 2 30 4 147 
			 26 Norwich C 201 7 26 29 305 
			 27 Oxford C 440 3 168 32 398 
			 28 Peterborough C 168  16  133 
			 29 Portsmouth C 117 4 56  136 
			 30 Ripon and Leeds Y 145 2 10  121 
			 31 Rochester C 219 11 33  376 
			 32 St. Albans C 276 7 94  274 
			 33 St. Edms and Ipswich 154 5 29 46 230 
			 34 Salisbury C 229  60 23 235 
			 35 Sheffield Y 187  18  270 
			 36 Sodor and Man Y 20  7 3 24 
			 37 Southwark C 370 8 95 32 349 
			 38 Southwell Y 170 3 52 0 313 
			 39 Truro C 130 1 25 10 117 
			 40 Wakefield Y 179 2 28 1 199 
			 41 Winchester C 239 1 59  245 
			 42 Worcester 151 1 23  139 
			 43 York Y 275 5 27  303 
			 44 Europe C 126 — — — 43 
			   
			 Totals Province of Canterbury (C) 6,846 106 1,421 243 7,072 
			 Totals Province of York (Y) 2,692 42 351 68 3,236 
			  
			 Totals Church of England 9,538 148 1,772 311 10,308 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The above figures include only those ministers who were working within the diocesan framework as at 31 December 2000.
	2. The Archbishop of Canterbury and ordained members of his staff at Lambeth are classed as extra-diocesan and are not included in these figures
	3. The figures for Readers include Readers with Permission to Officiate and active Emeriti.
	4. One part-timer works for both Bradford and Wakefield. He has been counted into the Bradford figure.
	5. Ordained clergy in Europe are all counted as full-time as it has not been possible to split them this year.

Churchwardens Measure

David Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on the Churchwardens Measure.

Stuart Bell: The Churchwardens Measure 2001 provides a comprehensive set of rules about the appointment of churchwardens and their tenure of office, building on earlier legislation. Most of the Measure has caused no controversy, and the draft provisions about which the Ecclesiastical Committee expressed concern, relating to the possible suspension of a churchwarden from exercising his or her duties, were deleted by the General Synod and form no part of the Measure.
	The Measure will come into force on 1 January 2002, and will apply to the elections of churchwardens at the annual meetings held in parishes from 2002 onwards. A good deal of information about the new rules has already been published and more guidance will be issued before the Measure comes into force.
	The new rule that a churchwarden may not serve for more than six years without a break is laid down in the Measure as the norm, but the parishioners of an individual parish will be free to decide that the rule is not to apply in their case. As the six years will not start to run until the Measure comes into force, there will be ample time for every parish to consider the matter and reach its own decision.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Railtrack

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if his officials informed executives of Railtrack plc, at their meeting on 3 October, of the reasons the payment due to be paid by the Government to the company on 1 October has not been made.

John Spellar: One payment was legally due on 1 October. This was for £337 million and it was paid in full on that date.

Railtrack

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will place in the Library the powers of the Railtrack administrator; when he expects to receive the administrator's report for approval; and who will decide what return the shareholders will receive.

David Jamieson: The principal functions of the Administrator of Railtrack plc are set out in section 59 of the Railways Act 1993 and the Insolvency Act 1986, as applied by Schedule 6 to the Railways Act 1993. The timetable of the administration process is a matter for the Administrator. Once the administration process is complete, it will be clear what value is available for disbursement to its shareholder, Railtrack Group plc. Disbursement of Railtrack Group plc's assets is a matter for the Board of that company.

Railtrack

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what substantial investment projects Railtrack was planning; and what is (a) their current status, (b) the current timetable for their completion and (c) the current estimate of the cost.

David Jamieson: Railtrack's May 2001 Network Management Statement identifies the projects on which the company was working and expected completion dates. Government have committed to provide the Administrator with access to sufficient funding to continue on a "business as usual" basis—including investment expenditure—during the administration period.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the cash needs of Railtrack plc in administration.

John Spellar: The Administration process is at a very early stage and any estimate of the cash needs of Railtrack plc in administration would be purely speculative.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average daily rate of (a) loss (PBT) and (b) cash outflow at Railtrack plc in administration has been since 5 October.

John Spellar: This is a matter for the Administrator. The premature release of unaudited financial information may prejudice the Administrator's orderly release of commercially sensitive information in detailed discussions with potential bidders for Railtrack plc.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what investment expenditure was planned for the period from the end of September to 31 March (a) 2002 and (b) 2002–03 by Railtrack plc prior to being placed in administration.

John Spellar: Railtrack's investment plans were outlines in its Network Management Statement published in May 2001.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the (a) Board and (b) auditors of Railtrack sought a letter of comfort concerning payments to Railtrack Group and plc before the directors and auditors signed the accounts for 2000–01 on a going concern basis; and if the Government granted such a request.

John Spellar: No such request was made.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what money was budgeted to be given to Railtrack (a) Group and (b) plc in 2002–03 prior to the decision to place Railtrack plc in administration.

John Spellar: The income to be received by Railtrack for its regulated business in 2002–03 was determined and set out in the October 2000 conclusions of the Rail Regulator's Periodic Review and in the 2 April agreement between the Government and Railtrack.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much Railtrack plc spent on investment in (a) 2000–01 and (b) between 1 April and being placed in administration.

John Spellar: Railtrack's investment expenditure for 2000–01 is set out in its Annual Report and Accounts. My Department does not hold audited investment expenditure data for 2001–02.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much the Government have paid to Railtrack Group plc (a) directly and (b) via the SRA in 2001–02; and how much it planned to pay it over the balance of the year before the company was put into administration.

John Spellar: The Government have made no payments to Railtrack Group plc. This company is not in administration.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what money is available for the successor Railtrack company in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 from (i) Government and (ii) SRA sources.

John Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 195W.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the fees of the administrator for Railtrack plc.

John Spellar: It is not possible at this stage to make an accurate estimate.

Railtrack

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 614W, on Railtrack, for what reason he did not comment upon the advice that he has received on the extra cost to the Government of the successor company to Railtrack achieving a credit rating of lower than A/A2; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: On the basis of advice received, we consider a long-term credit rating of A/A2 or higher to be the most appropriate rating to target in order to finance the proposed Company Limited by Guarantee in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Lower ratings than those to be targeted are considered to be less efficient and less cost-effective.

Railtrack

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much a single share in Railtrack has earned in dividends and other payments from privatisation to 1 October.

David Jamieson: A single share in Railtrack Group plc has received £1.40 in cash or equivalent dividends since its flotation on 20 May 1996.

Railtrack

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average value of one Railtrack share from privatisation to 1 October.

David Jamieson: The average daily share price for Railtrack Group plc from privatisation to 1 October 2001 was 917 pence.

Public Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many appointments he has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in his gift.

Sally Keeble: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies", which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.
	DTLR Ministers made nine appointments and eight reappointments to public bodies between 7 June and 31 October. In addition, one appointment has been made jointly with colleagues in the Department of Health and National Assembly for Wales and four further appointments made jointly with the National Assembly for Wales. This Department is responsible for making approximately 700 appointments.

Millennium Dome

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the total cost to date to (a) the Treasury and (b) the National Lottery of the Millennium Dome.

Sally Keeble: English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency, which manages the Dome sale process and owns the site, is expecting to incur, from its normal budget, some £1.9 million in relation to care and maintenance 1 of the Dome, around £9.75 million for decommissioning works in preparation for the future use of the Dome and about £1.7 million on the current sale process, this year. In addition, English Partnerships spent £6.6 million on the previous competition, which began in March 1999 and ended at the beginning of 2001. These costs will be recovered from eventual sale proceeds.
	In relation to the National Lottery cost, the Millennium Commission has approved a total grant of £628 million to the New Millennium Experience Company for the Millennium Experience at Greenwich and its associated national programme of events and activities.
	1 Includes rates, utilities, security, maintenance and insurance.

Rail Services (Scotland)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of new track were laid in each year between 1992 and 1999 relating to new rail lines in Scotland.

David Jamieson: I understand from Railtrack that between 1992 and 1999 a small but unquantified amount of freight-related new track has been laid.

Rail Services (Scotland)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of rail track were upgraded to allow for increased capacity in Scotland in each year between 1992 and 1999.

David Jamieson: I understand from Railtrack that there has been no significant track capacity upgrade between 1992 and 1999. Improved signalling can also increase network capacity and signalling works have been undertaken at locations where increased demand has driven the need for such improvements.

Rail Services (Scotland)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much was spent in support of rail services in Scotland in each year from 1992 to 1999.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to pages 102–103 of the Strategic Rail Authority Annual Report 2000–01, which show the support for rail services provided under the ScotRail franchise in the years since it commenced on 31 March 1997. Details of support for those services before that date are available.

Air Traffic Control

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many representations have been received by the Government on the privatisation of Air Traffic Control; and of these, how many were classed as (a) supportive of privatisation and (b) against privatisation.

David Jamieson: No central record has been kept of the number of such representations.

Air Traffic Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what protocols have been implemented between NATS and the MOD to ensure safety between civilian and military air traffic.

David Jamieson: The system for air traffic control in UK airspace has long been based on a joint and integrated civil-military arrangement. The NATS public-private partnership provides for the continuance of this relationship and the Civil Aviation Authority is required to oversee the sustainment of efficient joint civil and military working. This oversight is carried out through the Joint Air Navigation Services Council that consists of senior representatives of NATS, Ministry of Defence and the CAA.

Air Traffic Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  when the partners' investment will be committed to the NATS PPP; and how much it will be;
	(2)  when he expects to receive the proceeds from the NATS PPP.

David Jamieson: The Government received proceeds totalling almost £770 million from the sale of a minority share in NATS to the chosen strategic partner, the Airline Group, on 26 July 2001. A further £35 million is due under the sale as deferred proceeds.

Air Traffic Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the timetable is for invitations to tender for (a) Prestwick and (b) West Drayton air traffic control centres; and how these centres will be involved with European proposals on air traffic control.

David Jamieson: In regard to the new air traffic control centre at Prestwick, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett) on 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 288W.
	The West Drayton air traffic control centre, which is the existing London Area and Control Centre (LATCC), is not subject to tender.
	All civilian air traffic control centres in the European Union would be covered by the proposals to create the Single European Sky. As these proposals are still in draft form, it is too early to say what their impact might be on individual control centres.

Air Traffic Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when EU clearance is expected for the NATS PPP.

David Jamieson: EU merger clearance for the Airline Group's participation in the NATS PPP was obtained on 14 May 2001.

Air Traffic Control

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much the employees' share of the NATS PPP is expected to be; and when it will be available to them.

David Jamieson: Under the public private partnership NATS employees are entitled to 5 per cent. of the total shareholding in NATS. The shares are held in an employee trust, the NATS Employee Share Trust Ltd. The initial allocation of shares to staff was made on 21 September and a second allocation is expected to be made by the trust early next year.

School Buses

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what powers (a) the Vehicle Inspectorate and (b) the Health and Safety Executive have to investigate passenger safety and overcrowding on (i) school contract bus services and (ii) scheduled bus services; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Vehicle Inspectorate is empowered under section 68 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, as amended by section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, to inspect all buses in respect of both safety standards and overcrowding.
	The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 places a general duty on employers and the self-employed to conduct their undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment are not exposed to risks to their health or safety. This duty would apply to passengers on buses.
	However, it is the general policy of the Health and Safety Executive that they will not enforce health and safety at work law where it is overlapped by other legislation which adequately protects public and worker safety by more specific and detailed law enforced by another authority, as is the case here.

School Buses

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations govern seating, standing and the use of seat belts on (a) school contract bus services and (b) scheduled bus services.

David Jamieson: The regulations that govern seating, standing on all buses are the Public Service Vehicles (Carrying Capacity) Regulations 1984, the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981, as amended, and the Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990. There are no regulations governing the use of seat belts in buses.

Stagecoach

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what breaches of transport regulations have been committed by Stagecoach plc since 1997; and what action was taken by his Department against Stagecoach plc in each case.

David Jamieson: Disproportionate cost would be involved in supplying an answer in the form requested owing to the number of companies owned by Stagecoach plc. If my hon. Friend would like to write to the Chief Executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate, specifying the company in which he has an interest, they will be able to assist him.

London Underground

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who will be liable for any cost overruns incurred in modernising London Underground under PPP.

David Jamieson: Under the Government's plans for a publicly run, privately built tube, the private sector infrastructure companies will be liable for all cost overruns that result from their acting in an uneconomic or inefficient manner.

Road Haulage Industry

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on skill shortages in the road haulage industry.

David Jamieson: The road haulage industry is a wholly private sector enterprise. It is responsible for ensuring that it is able to recruit the personnel it needs. Government are helping through the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund which has earmarked £5 million for training, to help the industry meet its future labour and skills needs. A feasibility study looking at ways to protect employer investment in training will begin shortly. Two further schemes, to increase the number of young people joining the industry, are expected to begin in the spring next year.

Expenditure (Scotland)

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list, in real terms, for each year since 1979 (a) the total sums of money spent directly by his Department in Scotland and (b) the total sums of money allocated by his Department for spending in Scotland through (i) the Scottish Office, (ii) the Scotland Office and (iii) the Scottish Executive.

Alan Whitehead: The information requested is not readily available. However, an analysis by function and country of total managed expenditure for the years 1995–96 to 1999–2000 can be found in Chapter 8 of the "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02" (Cm 5101) published in April 2001 (a copy of which is available in the Library of the House) and figures for earlier years are available in previous PESA publications.

Strategic Rail Authority

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last met Sir Alastair Morton, Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Stephen Byers: I had meetings with Sir Alastair on 26 June and 24 July this year. He was also present at the Rail Delivery Group, which I chaired, on 27 July.

Driving Test Centres

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has commissioned into the connection between the closure of driving test centres and the number of unlicensed drivers on the road.

David Jamieson: In 1999, the Department commissioned a three-year research project into the extent and effects of unlicensed driving. One of the research objectives was to identify reasons for unlicensed driving. The final report is expected in spring 2002. The research is not likely to identify a link between unlicensed driving and the closure of local driving test centres.

Silverlink

Richard Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact that the PUG2 Agreement will have on the interests of South West Hertfordshire commuters who use Silverlink services into London.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority have established a Joint West Coast Forum with local authorities, user representatives and Rail Passenger Committees along the route to ensure the concerns of Silverlink County passengers are understood and taken into account during discussions about the outputs to be provided under PUG2. Earlier this year the Authority commissioned Booz, Allen and Hamilton to undertake a study to consider both the commercial and wider economic benefits of providing additional fast line capacity for use by non-Virgin services. The results have been reported to the Forum.

Railway Sleeper Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the potential growth in demand for sleeper services between the north of England and (a) London and (b) the Continent.

David Jamieson: No formal assessment has been made. We would expect the railway industry to come forward with proposals to meet demands for new services.

East Midlands Airport

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on night flights at East Midlands Airport; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  for what reason he has not extended environmental powers under the Civil Aviation Act 1982 to East Midlands Airport.

David Jamieson: I have recently received representations from or on behalf of: my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor); People Against Intrusive Noise (PAIN); East Midlands Airport Ltd.; the Association of International Courier and Express Services (AICES); and North West Leicestershire district council. The district council and others have requested that the Secretary of State designate the airport under s.80 for the purposes of s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, under which he could impose certain operational noise controls (including night restrictions).
	The Government's preference is for appropriate noise controls to be discussed and agreed locally, in consultation with representatives of local people and of airport users; but requests to designate are considered on their merits. The airport, the district council and other interested parties are, at my invitation, currently engaged in discussions on this issue. Following these discussions, the Secretary of State will decide whether to designate the airport for the purposes of s.78 of the 1982 Act.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned concerning the (i) economic, (ii) social and (iii) environmental impact of the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

David Jamieson: The Department conducted a study of the regeneration benefits of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and, to supplement the extensive research carried out by the various promoters and opponents of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, has commissioned some further research to assess:
	(i) Economic impacts: Eurostar passenger and revenue forecasts
	(ii) Social impacts: property consultants advised on the regeneration impact of the Link
	(iii) Environmental impacts: research to determine the noise characteristics of Eurostar trains.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link will have on (a) passenger numbers and (b) financial returns for (i) each train operating company and (ii) Eurostar.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority is assessing the passenger and financial returns of high speed domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the consequential impacts on Connex South Eastern services. Details depend on the service pattern assumed and will be the subject of commercial negotiations.
	Consultants Booz Allen and Hamilton were employed by the Department to forecast passenger numbers and financial returns for Eurostar. These forecasts informed commercial negotiations undertaken earlier this year with Railtrack Group plc and LCR concerning Section 2 of the Link.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what track access charges will be paid by Eurostar for use of tracks (a) on the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link and (b) on tracks between Waterloo and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, when the Channel Tunnel Rail Link becomes operational.

David Jamieson: The Track Access Charges are set out in the Track Access Agreements between Railtrack, Eurostar, and London and Continental Railways. These agreements, between private companies, are commercially sensitive and cannot therefore be made public.

Chainsaws

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on the environment of exhaust fumes produced by the use of chainsaws.

David Jamieson: UK emissions modelling suggests that small petrol-powered off-road equipment accounts for 2.1 per cent. of UK hydrocarbon emissions with chainsaws accounting for only a small part of this. However, the European Commission estimates the significance of emissions from these machines to be much greater. The Commission estimates small off-road petrol engines to produce 6.5 per cent. of EU hydrocarbon emissions with chainsaws accounting for approximately half of this figure.
	Hydrocarbons contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, which is harmful to human health and, in addition, certain hydrocarbons are carcinogenic. Despite the low significance of total hydrocarbon emissions from this sector of machinery, individual machines are high emitters. It is therefore desirable to reduce emissions from them as far as practical, not only to benefit the environment, but also to reduce operator exposure to carcinogenic emissions.

Chainsaws

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of draft EU regulations relating to catalytic converters on chainsaws; and if he will make a statement on the impact of such regulations on the arboricultural industry.

David Jamieson: The amendment would regulate, for the first time, emissions from small, off-road petrol engines, such as those used in lawnmowers, chainsaws etc, by means of two stages of emissions limits. Compliance with the Stage 2 limits may require adoption of oxidation catalysts on two-stroke engines (typically used in handheld equipment such as chainsaws). Where machines must be compact and lightweight it may be difficult to accommodate catalysts; 'tree-service' or 'top-handled' chainsaws as used by arboriculturists are a case in point.
	The UK has campaigned vigorously for derogations for these machines to give industry the time they need to develop alternative emissions control technology. At their first readings of the proposal, both the European Parliament and the Council adopted a clause requiring the Commission to review whether all applications of handheld engines could meet Stage 2 limits and, if not, set derogations of up to five years where appropriate. The Commission have made a written declarations that this review will specifically consider chainsaws.

Windfarms

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to reduce the delay in planning affecting on-shore windfarms; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: We already promote a positive approach to planning for renewable energy as part of the UK's climate change strategy. Last year we initiated the preparation of regional assessments and targets for renewable energy provision (including on-shore windfarms) to encourage a more strategic approach to planning at regional and local levels. More positive planning at regional and local levels will contribute to greater public familiarity with, and acceptance of, prospective renewable energy developments and will help to facilitate planning permission for individual proposals. It remains important for operators to prepare the ground with local authorities, environmental groups and local people before submitting formal planning applications by developing proposals in consultation with them.
	The forthcoming planning Green Paper will include proposals intended to speed up the planning process.

Brit Disc

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to introduce the Brit disc for foreign trucks; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Government are continuing to look at the options for some form of user charging for lorries, and will make a statement in due course.

Aviation Emissions

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the United Kingdom's Government's policy for reducing emissions from international aviation was approved at the 33 International Civil Aviation Organisation Assembly; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Assembly endorsed further work to improve technology standards and operating procedures. It approved the goal of participating in an emission permit trading system, and it confirmed its policy on emissions charging. We are following up this outcome in consultation with our European partners, taking account of the impact of recent events on the aviation industry.

Waverley Line

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the current status of the Waverley Line railway proposals between Edinburgh and Carlisle.

David Jamieson: The "Waverley Line" or "Borders Line" as it is also known is a longer-term project which will have to be considered against competing priorities. However, it will be studied to see if it is a viable proposal and whether or not it offers value for money.

Special Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what procedure is followed when concerns are communicated to his Department about the propriety of the conduct of his special advisers in respect of their professional relationship with civil servants.

Stephen Byers: In line with the Civil Service Code, the Department's staff handbook sets out the procedures to be followed in the event of any complaint, problem or grievance in relation to any employment-related matter.

Departmental Staff

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2001, Official Report, columns 93–94W, on departmental staff 
	(1)  if he will list (a) the departments and (b) the Ministers that were consulted prior to the transfer of Mr. Alun Evans from his Department to the Cabinet Office; and if he will give the dates on which each of the consultations took place;
	(2)  if he will list the dates on which (a) Mr. Alun Evans' transfer from his Department was agreed with the Permanent Secretary McIntosh, (b) Mr. Alun Evans left his former post as Director of Communications in his Department and (c) Mr. Alun Evans commenced work in his current post.

Stephen Byers: Mr. Evans commenced work in his current post on 1 October 2001. He was DTLR's Director of Communication until that time.
	The remaining issues are exempted from disclosure under Part 8 of Section II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Statutory Off-road Notification

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many fines have been imposed for failure to make a statutory off-road notification since the scheme's inception.

David Jamieson: Since the agency started enforcement action for failing to make a statutory off-road notification declaration in April 1999, a total of 207,397 people have settled the matter out of court and a further 1,263 have been prosecuted at court. The total revenue paid in fines and penalties amounts to £6,071,847.

Statutory Off-road Notification

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the performance of the statutory off-road notification scheme in reducing vehicle excise duty evasion.

David Jamieson: Statutory off-road notification (SORN) came into force in 1998. Keepers who take their vehicles off the public road unlicensed are required to make a declaration to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and if the vehicle remains off the road to confirm its status each year. Failure to do so is a criminal offence which carries a maximum fine on conviction of £1,000. Offenders are given the opportunity to settle out of court on payment of a penalty.
	Since introduction over 2.5 million SORN declarations have been received. Automated enforcement action has been introduced and over £6 million raised in fines and penalties. The indications are that the SORN procedures are fulfilling their objectives and achieving a higher compliance with the registration and licensing requirements.

Air Travel (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what contribution his Department will make to the World Health Organisation study into deep vein thrombosis and air travel.

David Jamieson: My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is planning to make a contribution to the World Health Organisation study in terms of financial support and the provision of advice, the details of which are presently under consideration.

Ordnance Survey

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Ordnance Survey towards anticipating and meeting the needs of customers through partnerships and adherence to service first principles.

Sally Keeble: As a Trading Fund, Ordnance Survey can sustain its business and fund its investments only if it meets the needs of its customers in a timely and effective way.
	Ordnance Survey consults extensively with its customers and partners in a variety of ways, including:
	one to one discussions at business and technical levels;
	focus groups;
	meeting with representative user bodies;
	seminars, and;
	market research.
	Working with partners is a central element of the Ordnance Survey corporate strategy.

British Midlands Flights

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what slots have been offered to British Midland to fly from Heathrow following the withdrawal of services by other carriers.

David Jamieson: Slots at co-ordinated airports such as Heathrow are allocated to airlines under European Regulation 95/93. Bmi British Midland are entitled to apply to the airport co-ordinator for slots. No slots at Heathrow have been offered to them as a result of a withdrawal of service by other carriers.

Biodiesel

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he is taking to encourage the availability of biodiesel for motorists.

David Jamieson: holding answer 20 November 2001
	In the November 2000 pre Budget report the Chancellor announced the Green Fuels Challenge, which invited industry and environmental groups to develop proposals for practical alternative fuels. More than 60 proposals were submitted covering a range of potential options. In response to the data submitted on biofuels the Chancellor announced, subject to EU agreement, a 20p per litre duty incentive on biodiesel would be introduced in Budget 2002.

Nitrogen Emissions

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what plans he has to fund research into using urea in diesel vehicles to reduce nitrogen emissions;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to back research into using urea in catalytic converters on diesel engines to reduce nitrogen emissions.

David Jamieson: None. Research and development of exhaust after-treatment systems, including the possible use of urea, is already well under way on a commercial basis so that manufacturers will be in a position to meet mandatory EU NOx emission limits for heavy diesel vehicles which come into force from 2008.

M4 Bus Lane

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the M4 bus lane.

John Spellar: The effectiveness of the bus lane is closely monitored by the Highways Agency. They report that it continues to alleviate peak congestion on this busy section of the motorway but they recommend that the scheme could be improved by raising the speed limit between junction 4 and the elevated section to 60mph and the use by motorcycles of the lane designated for buses and taxis. I have agreed that the Highways Agency should consult on these changes and this consultation will be launched today.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces (Retirement)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service men have retired from the armed forces in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: For the last five financial years the trained outflow from UK regular forces (men and women) is as follows:
	
		Trained outflow
		
			  PVR(1) Retirements(2) Other(3) Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 9,953 6,447 10,279 26,679 
			 1997–98 9,898 5,465 2,924 18,287 
			 1998–99 10,312 5,541 3,012 18,865 
			 1999–2000 9,640 5,105 3,145 17,890 
			 2000–01 9,267 4,965 3,247 17,479 
		
	
	(1) For military service personnel figures are quoted for the number leaving early on Premature Voluntary Retirement (Officers), and Premature Voluntary Release (Other Ranks). This results from the open engagement system which means service men can serve for 22 years. As these are not engagement periods as such, those who leave earlier do so on Premature Voluntary Retirement/Release.
	(2) Defined as personnel leaving at the end of an agreed period of service.
	(3) All other outflow of trained personnel. This includes redundancy, medical, death, disciplinary and services no longer required.

Mineseeker

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet the managing director of the Mineseeker organisation to discuss the removal of landmines.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 15 November 2001
	I have no plans to do so at present. However, should the managing director of Mineseeker wish to discuss his organisation's activities with the Ministry of Defence, appropriate arrangements could be made.

Mineseeker

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will respond to the letter he received recently from the managing director of the Mineseeker organisation.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 15 November 2001
	We have no record of having received this letter.

Mineseeker

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on the Mineseeker operation with its patrons.

Geoff Hoon: None.

Defence Academy

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the Defence Academy's budget is allocated for administration.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 16 November 2001
	The Head of the Defence Academy's budget will be established with effect from 1 April 2002. The precise size of the budget has yet to be determined, but the administrative element is expected to be about 23 per cent.

Gurkhas

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve recruitment to Gurkha regiments.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 19 October 2001, Official Report, column 1371W. There is no requirement to improve recruiting levels to meet the numbers needed.

Afghanistan

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the roulement of the British forces deployed to Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: UK forces deployed to Afghanistan will remain there for as long as necessary. In the event that a roulement of the current force deployed is required, detailed plans will be made in co-ordination with our coalition allies and taking account of the political and security situation on the ground.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which United Kingdom ships are tasked to assist the international coalition in Afghanistan; and where they are situated.

Adam Ingram: HMS Illustrious, HMS Fearless, HMS Cornwall, HMS Southampton and HMS Trafalgar and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries Sir Tristram, Sir Percival, Fort Victoria, Fort Rosalie, Brambleleaf and Diligence are tasked to assist the international coalition. All ships are currently operating in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.

Afghanistan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties have been flown by aircraft of the international coalition in Afghanistan and for what purpose since the beginning of November.

Adam Ingram: UK aircraft have flown over 150 sorties since the beginning of November. These have been for the purposes of air-to-air refuelling, reconnaissance and airborne early warning. I cannot provide details of other coalition members' sorties (either in total numbers flown or by purpose), which are a matter for them.

Afghanistan

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the UK military presence in Afghanistan includes women personnel.

Geoff Hoon: The composition of any forces deployed on Operation Veritas will be determined by the operational requirements. Depending on these requirements, women may be included in forces to be deployed.

Exercise Saif Sareea 2

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effects environmental conditions had on Army and Fleet Air Arm helicopters during Exercise Saif Sareea 2; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Equipment reliability and availability during Saif Sareea 2 was affected by the desert environment, particularly the hot temperatures and flying dust. A number of equipment enhancement measures were implemented, such as sand filters and polyurethane self-adhesive tape on rotor blades which, together with an upgraded maintenance programme, combined to ensure that the helicopter fleet performed well in the environment.

Electronic Data Services

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the contract between his Department and EDS for army payroll services was rewritten; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The contract between the Ministry of Defence and Electronic Data Services relates not only to Army payroll services, but includes the delivery of information systems and information technology in support of the personnel administration, and pay of all armed forces personnel. The reconstructed contract was signed on 29 June 2001.

Electronic Data Services

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which risks that his Department considered transferred in the contract between his Department and EDS are disputed by EDS; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: None of the risks transferred to Electronic Data Services under the reconstructed Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency PFI contract signed on 29 June 2001 are a matter of dispute.

Warships

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) type 22 frigates, (b) type 42 destroyers, (c) type 23 frigates, (d) aircraft carriers and (e) fleet submarines are (i) operational, (ii) in refit and (iii) in maintenance or repair.

Adam Ingram: The table shows, as at 19 November 2001, the vessels within each of the categories requested. Those vessels undergoing routine maintenance and repair (column iii) are within the operational control of the Royal Navy and can be made ready within agreed timescales.
	
		
			  (i) Operational  (ii) Refit(4) (iii) Maintenance and repair 
		
		
			 (a) Type 22 Frigates Chatham Cumberland(5) Sheffield 
			  Cornwall  Cambeltown 
			  Coventry   
			 
			 (b) Type 42 Destroyers Edinburgh Cardiff Gloucester 
			  Exeter Liverpool York 
			  Glasgow Manchester  
			  Nottingham   
			  Southampton   
			  Newcastle   
			 
			 (c) Type 23 Frigates Argyll Grafton Richmond 
			  Kent Iron Duke  
			  Lancaster Somerset  
			  Marlborough   
			  Monmouth   
			  Montrose   
			  Norfolk   
			  Northumberland   
			  Portland   
			  Sutherland   
			  Westminster   
			 
			 (d) CVS Illustrious Invincible — 
			  Ark Royal   
			 
			 (e) Fleet submarines Splendid Sceptre Tireless 
			  Superb Spartan Sovereign 
			  Talent Torbay  
			  Trafalgar Trenchant  
			  Triumph Turbulent  
		
	
	(4) Including docking periods
	(5) Undergoing post docking period sea trials

Joint Strike Fighter

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision on the (a) STOVL and (b) CV variant of the Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: We expect a decision on which variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, Carrier Version or Short Take Off and Vertical Landing, best meets our requirement for a Future Joint Combat Aircraft to be made by the autumn of next year.

Helicopters

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which helicopters are under consideration for the SABR programme.

Lewis Moonie: The Support Amphibious and Battlefield Rotorcraft programme is in its concept stage. It is too early, therefore, to say with certainty which rotorcraft will be the principal contenders.

QinetiQ

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which firms are providing his Department with (a) expertise and (b) advice with respect to the flotation of QinetiQ.

Geoff Hoon: The Ministry of Defence is being advised on the QinetiQ transaction by PricewaterhouseCoopers and UBS Warburg (financial advice), Simmons & Simmons (legal), Arthur Andersen (reporting accountants) and Willis (insurance). QinetiQ also has its own advisers.

QinetiQ

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's budget is for professional advice on the flotation of QinetiQ.

Geoff Hoon: There is no fixed budget for external advice in relation to the flotation of QinetiQ. Continuous scrutiny of costs ensures that the services of advisers offer value for money.

Defence Fire Service

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to employ more civilians in the Defence Fire Service; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no immediate plans to change the normal process of recruitment for Defence Fire Service (DFS) firefighters at locations where a requirement to fill vacancies has been identified. Currently, vacancies are managed at unit level and are filled either by internal level transfer, or where this is not possible, by external recruitment. Although temporary recruitment restrictions may occur from time to time under certain circumstances, the MOD intends to continue recruiting as normal until the outcome of the Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP) is known. The matter will then be reviewed at that stage. I refer the hon. Member to the statement on the future of MOD Fire Services made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces on 13 November 2001, Official Report, columns 231–34WH.

Fast-track NHS Treatment

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the fast-tracking of treatment for service personnel within the NHS;
	(2)  how many armed forces personnel have had their treatment fast-tracked within the NHS in the last 12 months.

Lewis Moonie: There are no arrangements for the fast-tracking of clinical treatment for Service personnel within the NHS. However, special arrangements exist, principally with the NHS Trusts hosting our Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHU), for Service personnel to receive expedited out-patient opinions within the NHS. These latter arrangements apply particularly, but not exclusively, to those required for operational deployments.
	Our arrangements with the MDHU host Trusts also include financial arrangements to encourage the Trusts to achieve the waiting time targets, both for out-patient and in-patient appointments, set by the Defence Secondary Care Agency.

11 September

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings he has had since 11 September with his counterparts in the EU.

Geoff Hoon: I have met my EU counterparts at an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers on 11–12 October and at the EU Capabilities Improvement Conference on 19–20 November.

Future Aircraft Carrier

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the Assessment Phase of the Future Aircraft Carrier procurement programme.

Geoff Hoon: Assessment work on the new carrier project began in November 1999 when contracts were awarded to two competing consortia headed by BAE Systems and Thales Naval Ltd. The first stage of the assessment was completed in June this year.
	Since then officials have been working to determine the most efficient and cost effective way forward for the remainder of the Assessment Phase, taking into account the views of both consortia about the amount of work required to minimise the level of risk in the CVF programme.
	On the basis of that work, contracts have been signed today for both BAE Systems and Thales Naval Ltd. to proceed to Stage 2 of the CVF Assessment Phase.
	For the next 12 months, until November 2002, the competing consortiums will concentrate on refining their designs and on taking key trade-off decisions. During this period, there will be a continuous assessment of the two consortiums' work leading to an announcement of a single preferred prime contractor in early 2003.
	The preferred consortium will then continue assessment work through the summer of 2003 in order to provide the robust cost, time and performance information needed to make the main investment decision. This will allow us to make a decision to place a formal build contract in early 2004. The selected prime contractor will be expected to maintain the time, cost and performance proposals agreed at the end of the Assessment phase. Following the announcement of a preferred contractor, there will be maximum competition at the sub-contractor level to ensure that robust prices are achieved.
	This approach reflects a sensible revision to the original procurement approach envisaged for the future carrier project. By applying Smart Procurement principles, it will help to ensure the maximum potential for competition throughout the remainder of the Assessment Phase. It will ensure that we achieve best value for money for the taxpayer. As part of the new approach, we will make around a further £20 million available to the contractors during the Assessment Phase.
	The In Service Dates of the two new carriers remain unchanged at 2012 and 2015.
	Both BAE Systems and Thales have welcomed this new approach which demonstrates innovative thinking to deliver value for money. It re-affirms in the strongest possible terms this Government's commitment to ensuring that our armed forces are equipped with battle-winning equipment. Combined with the Future Joint Combat Aircraft, the carriers will provide the UK with a formidable force projection capability.

EU Capabilities Improvement Conference

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he attended the EU Capabilities Improvement Conference in Brussels on 19 November; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces and I attended the Capabilities Improvement Conference along with colleagues from other EU nations.
	Good progress has been made towards the Headline Goal target for a European pool of forces. Offers were made by EU member states at last year's Capability Commitments Conference for 94 of the 144 identified capability areas underpinning the Headline Goal. The new offers made on Monday enhance our capabilities in a number of these areas and provide solutions for a further 10. We also agreed an Action Plan to address the remaining shortfalls: there are already identified initiatives addressing 20 of the 21 most significant capability areas. This process also reinforces NATO's Defence Capabilities Initiative.
	EU nations have offered substantial contributions, as set out in the Compendium of national Contributions prepared by the EU Presidency. In addition to the UK commitments made at last year's conference, I have identified further capabilities targeted specifically at the remaining shortfall areas. Some will be available before 2003 for the Headline Goal target; others later.
	I will place a copy of the Compendium in the Library of the House.

Defence Housing Executive

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Key Targets have been set for the Defence Housing Executive for the financial year 2001–02.

Lewis Moonie: The following Key Targets have been set for the Defence Housing Executive for 2001–02.
	Key Target 1—To house at least 72 per cent. of families in accommodation that matches their entitlement by posting date or on return to GB from overseas, and at least 93 per cent. within 28 days of their required date.
	Key Target 2—Less than 5 per cent. of occupants should experience significant defects within 14 days of moving in.
	Key Target 3—To complete the planned upgrade of 2,400 properties by 31 March 2002.
	Key Target 4—To complete:
	At least 95 per cent. of emergency repairs within 24 hours of notification;
	At least 90 per cent. of urgent repairs within five working days of notification;
	At least 95 per cent. of routine repairs within two months of notification.
	Key Target 5—To reduce the management margin progressively towards 10 per cent. by November 2005, to better balance supply and demand while delivering other key targets. (The DHE's interim target for 31 March 2002 is to have a management margin of 12.8 per cent.).
	Copies of the DHE's Corporate Plan will be placed in the Library of the House.

Parliamentary Questions

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of those named day parliamentary written questions to his Department that received a holding answer between 15 October and 5 November received the substantive answer (a) within three parliamentary days, (b) within seven parliamentary days, (c) within 10 parliamentary days, (d) within 15 parliamentary days and (e) over 15 parliamentary days after the holding answer was issued.

Adam Ingram: pursuant to his reply, 16 November 2001, c. 958W
	The information contained in the table was incorrect. The questions which received a substantive reply, or where an undertaking to write to hon. Members was given, is set out in the table:
	
		
			 Number of parliamentary days Answers 
		
		
			 Within 3 51 
			 Between 4 and 7 1 
			 Between 8 and 10 0 
			 Between 11 and 15 0 
			 Over 15 1

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Older People (Discrimination)

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department has taken to tackle discrimination against older people.

Patricia Hewitt: We shall introduce legislation to combat age discrimination in employment and training by 2006. That is the deadline set out in the EU's Employment Directive, and it will give us the necessary time to resolve the complexities surrounding this issue. We shall be issuing a consultation document shortly. This will cover key questions to be considered on discrimination on grounds of age, along with the other grounds covered by the Directive: sexual orientation, religion, disability and race. We expect to bring forward a second consultation on age in 2002.

Methane

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate she has made of the potential benefits of the use of coalmine methane to generate energy.

Brian Wilson: It is recognised that there are significant environmental benefits from using coal mine methane for power generation and the Department is currently working with the Association of Coal Mine Methane Operators to quantify more precisely the benefits to be gained from using this fuel.

Public Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many appointments she has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in her gift.

Patricia Hewitt: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are placed in the Libraries of the Houses and the report is published on the Cabinet Office internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies", which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.
	In the period between 7 June and 31 October 2001 a total of 154 ministerial appointments were made to DTI public bodies of which 90 were re-appointments of serving members. The total number of ministerial appointments for which I am responsible is 3,279.

Tropical Fruit

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she had with the Philippines authorities (a) at the last World Trade Organisation Conference and (b) recently elsewhere on encouraging trade between Muslim areas of Central Mindanao and the UK, with particular reference to tropical fruit.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer to my answer during the debate in the House on 15 November 2001 about the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference, Official Report, column 996–1008.

Regional Development Agencies

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to link more closely the work of the RDAs and that of the Government offices, with particular reference to the Government Office of the north-east.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 20 November 2001
	The Government Office for the north-east and the regional development agency, One North-East, already work very closely together on a wide range of issues and I have no plans to change that. The implementation of the new Single Programme Budget for RDAs next year is likely to lead to even closer working, with the Government office having a key role in monitoring One North-East's performance against the demanding targets for that budget. The Government office was fully involved in the production of the Regional Strategy, and will be working closely with One North-East in the coming months on the review of the Agency's Regional Strategy for the North East which is now under way.

Miners' Compensation (Amber Valley)

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners in Amber Valley have (a) claimed and (b) received payments in compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Brian Wilson: To date, IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, have registered 1,583 claims in respect of respiratory disease in the constituency of Amber Valley. 516 individual payments have been made in this region totalling £2.0 million.
	Constituency statistics will shortly be available on the Department's website, www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

Miners' Compensation (Amber Valley)

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners in Amber Valley have (a) claimed and (b) received payments in compensation for vibration white finger.

Brian Wilson: To date, IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, have registered 1,026 claims in respect of vibration white finger in the constituency of Amber Valley. 507 individual payments have been made in this region, totalling £2.7 million.
	Constituency statistics will shortly be available on the Department's website, www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

Petrol Retailers

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met representatives of the Petrol Retailers Association to discuss wholesaler and retailer relations; what the outcome was of the meeting; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: My officials and I meet representatives of the Petrol Retailers Association from time to time. Most recently I met the association on 19 September 2001 and my officials met them on 1 and 13 November 2001. We have had a useful discussion of developments in petrol retailing and the implication for small petrol retailers.

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date her Department established a working group of officials to prepare her Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department has not established a working group of officials to prepare for implementation of the FOI Act. However, the task of preparing the Department has been assigned to the Open Government and Data Protection Unit, with particular responsibilities assigned to relevant officials within the Department. We already have in place a network of Open Government Liaison Officers to support our preparations for and eventual administration of the Act. Arrangements we are setting in place are overseen by the Departmental Board.

Equal Pay

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its sponsored bodies have made with the production of equal pay action plans.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department itself, its agencies and sponsored bodies are at various stages of reviewing their pay systems. Some have recently designed pay systems with equal pay issues in mind. In a number of cases equal pay action plans have already been developed and initial action has been taken. In others, action plans will be produced to address equal pay issues that emerge.

Equal Pay

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many like work equal pay cases have been considered by employment tribunals in the period between 1995 and 2000; and what was the outcome of each case.

Alan Johnson: The table sets out the information requested.
	
		Equal pay cases
		
			 Year Number of cases registered Settled by ACAS Withdrawn Successful at hearing Dismissed at hearing (out of scope) Dismissed at hearing (other) Disposed of (other) Total number disposed of 
		
		
			 1995–96 1,482 128 456 36 15 31 28 694 
			 1996–97 (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— (6)— 
			 1997–98 1,845 253 1069 18 73 70 1,483 — 
			 1998–99 5,018 517 650 7 309 47 1,530 — 
			 1999–2000 2,391 229 233 9 26 75 18 590 
			 2000–01 6,586 208 936 11 9 35 89 1,288 
		
	
	(6) Due to changes to the database system of the ETS in 1996, statistics for 1996–97 are not available.
	Note:
	The figures for 1997–2001 include a large proportion of part-time worker pension cases that are extant.
	Source:
	Employment Tribunals Service

Ukraine

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government carry any liability for potential damage in respect of investments they support in Ukraine.

Patricia Hewitt: ECGD has not provided Overseas Investment Insurance cover for any investments in the Ukraine.

Ukraine

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Ukraine is off cover for official UK export credits.

Patricia Hewitt: ECGDs website advertises the Ukraine as a country for which it is only able to consider export credit cover on a case-by-case basis.

Ukraine

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the UK has indicated to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that it is interested in the financing of a nuclear power station in Ukraine.

Patricia Hewitt: Under the terms of the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding aimed at bringing about the closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear facility, the EU and G7 Governments agreed to work on the provision of loan finance to complete the Ukrainian nuclear plants known as K2/R4. The EBRD was nominated to lead in arranging a US$1.4 billion package of loans which, it was indicated, could include UK export credits for up to £20 million.

Ukraine

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what applications have been received for export credit support in respect of the KZR4 nuclear power station in Ukraine; and if she will provide details.

Patricia Hewitt: The Export Credits Guarantee Department has received an outline application in respect of the K2R4 project. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, under Exemption 13—Third Party's commercial confidences—of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is unable to disclose details of the application.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total level of Government financial support to the renewable energy sector in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) research grants, (b) renewables obligation, (c) non-fossil fuel levy and (d) other sources.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 7 November 2001
	The information is set out in the table.
	The new Renewables Obligation, to be introduced next year, together with the exemption of renewables from the Climate Change Levy, will create a long-term market for renewables which will be worth over £1 billion per year by 2010.
	The obligation will be underpinned by direct Government funding for renewables worth over £260 million between 2001 and 2004. This will include an extensive capital grants programme for the early development of offshore wind and energy crops, the initial stage of a major photovoltaics demonstration programme and a boost for research and development.
	
		Support for the renewables sector -- £ million
		
			 Year (a) (b) (c) (d) 
			 Research grants(7) Renewables obligation(8) Non fossil fuel levy(9) Other (capital grants)(10) 
		
		
			 1990–91 21.3 — 6.1 — 
			 1991–92 24.8 — 11.7 — 
			 1992–93 26.6 — 28.9 — 
			 1993–94 26.8 — 68.1 — 
			 1994–95 20.5 — 96.4 — 
			 1995–96 21.6 — 94.5 — 
			 1996–97 18.5 — 112.8 — 
			 1997–98 15.9 — 126.5 — 
			 1998–99 14.4 — 127.0 — 
			 1999–2000 14.9 — (12)56.4 — 
			 2000–01 15.9 — (12)64.9 — 
			 2001–02 (11)24.0 — (12),(13)54.7 — 
			 2002–03(11) 27.6 (8)282.0 (14)— (10)60 
			 2003–04(11) 29.0 (8)405.0 (14)— (10)131 
		
	
	(7) Direct Government funding for research and development on renewable energy through the DTI's own Sustainable Energy Programme and through the Research Councils via the Science Budget.
	(8) Estimated maximum payments available under the Renewables Obligation for England and Wales and the corresponding Renewables Obligation (Scotland). Actual payments will depend on how much renewable energy capacity comes forward at any time. The costs will be met by licensed electricity suppliers who are expected to pass them on to consumers. Proposals for introducing the Obligation are shortly to be placed before Parliament. There may be some payments under the Obligation in the last quarter of 2001–02 depending on the precise date of implementation of the Obligation.
	(9) Expenditure through NFFO, SRO and NI-NFFO funded by the electricity consumer through the Fossil Fuel Levy in Great Britain and variant arrangements in Northern Ireland.
	(10) Provisional commitment profile for capital grants for offshore wind, energy crops and other areas highlighted in the Prime Minister's announcement of 5 November 2001. Actual spend will depend on the rate at which capacity comes forward.
	(11) Estimates.
	(12) Expenditure through NFFO falls from 1999–2000 on because NFFO 1 and 2 contracts came to an end in December 1998.
	(13) Actual to 30 September 2001.
	(14) Up to date estimates not available. Non Fossil Fuel Levy spend in future years is highly dependent on the impact of the introduction of Renewables obligation and of proposed new NFFO flexibility provisions. We anticipate that the costs of the Fossil Fuel Levy following the introduction of the Renewables Obligation will decline substantially.
	Note:
	Renewable energy also benefits from exemption from the Climate Change Levy which came into force from April 2001.

Ministerial Meetings

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date her Department began to record the basic facts of meetings between Ministers in her Department and outside interest groups as required under paragraph 63 of the Ministerial Code of Conduct and Guidance on procedures for Ministers; and in what form this information is recorded.

Patricia Hewitt: DTI Ministers meet a wide range of outside interest groups and individuals in the course of their official duties and I can confirm that the facts of such meetings are recorded in accordance with the Ministerial Code. This is a long established practice.

Employment Tribunals

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases were heard by employment tribunals in each of the last 10 years.

Patricia Hewitt: The table shows the information requested.
	
		Number of cases heard by employment tribunals 1991–2001(15)
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1991–92 13,778 
			 1992–93 17,836 
			 1993–94 23,327 
			 1994–95 21,749 
			 1995–96 21,484 
			 1996–97 (16)— 
			 1997–98 20,067 
			 1998–99 20,924 
			 1999–2000 21,049 
			 2000–01 25,106 
		
	
	(15) Defined as a case which was either successful or dismissed at a hearing (either for being out of scope or other reasons).
	(16) Due to changes to the ETS database of case records, no statistical information is available for this period.
	Note:
	Cases with multiple jurisdictions are only counted once.
	Source:
	Employment Tribunals Service

Employment Tribunals

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases are awaiting a hearing before an employment tribunal.

Patricia Hewitt: Due to the different ways in which tribunal applications proceed through the system, it is not possible to determine at any one time how many cases are waiting for a hearing date.

Employment Tribunals

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the average time before a case is heard by an employment tribunal over the last 12 months.

Patricia Hewitt: The Employment Tribunals Service, the government agency that provides the administrative support to the Employment Tribunals, seeks to ensure that 75 per cent. of single tribunal applications reach a first hearing within 26 weeks of receipt. However, due to the complexity of individual cases and the need to ensure proper judicial consideration it is not possible to ensure specific periods of time are achieved in individual cases if justice is to be done.
	In previous years, the ETS target was 85 per cent. and this was exceeded in 1998–99 and 1999–2000. The ETS achieved 77 per cent. in 2000–01.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the progress of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.

Clare Short: Twenty-four counties have now qualified for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the latest being Ethiopia which qualified last week. Three countries have completed the process. More than $54 billion of debt relief has been agreed for those countries, which together owe about $75 billion, so a major part of their debt has been written off. The money released is being spent on poverty reduction. Social expenditure in these countries is projected to rise by some $1.7 billion per year, on average.

Sierra Leone

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's work in Sierra Leone.

Clare Short: In Sierra Leone the UK is the leading player in providing humanitarian aid and help to reconstruct the institutions of government. We are supporting a wide range of reforms including better policing, the anti-corruption commission and preparations for elections due in May 2002.

Expatriate Remittances

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the (a) actual and (b) potential value of remittances from expatriates working in the UK as a contribution to aid to developing countries.

Clare Short: Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that declared remittances from expatriates in the UK to developing countries in 2000 were £1.25 billion. This represents an increase of about 50 per cent. on 1996 figures.

World Trade Organisation

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the World Trade Organisation's response to the proposal in paragraph 229 of her White Paper, "Eliminating World Poverty: making globalisation work for the poor".

Clare Short: The ministerial declaration from the WTO meeting in Doha made strong commitments to the interests of developing countries. The ministerial declaration resulted in agreement on the need to reduce subsidies and barriers to trade in agriculture, manufacturing and services, which could potentially produce enormous benefits for developing countries. The agreement on TRIPS recognised the need for a flexible interpretation of TRIPS to enable developing countries to protect public health. The challenge now is to ensure that these commitments become a reality.

World Trade Organisation

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her priorities in the latest WTO round regarding the reduction of world poverty.

Clare Short: Our priorities were set out in the White Paper "Eliminating World Poverty: making globalisation work for the poor". Many of these were fulfilled, in particular:
	Agreement on TRIPS and public health, recognising the need for a flexible interpretation of TRIPS to enable developing countries to protect public health.
	Action on some 50 measures form the developing countries' Implementation agenda from the Uruguay Round.
	On agriculture, commitment to real progress on market access and action on export subsidies.
	Continuing negotiations on services, which offer real prospects for developing countries to make substantial benefits through liberalisation and economic growth.
	Commitment to tackle tariff peaks, high tariffs and tariff escalation as well as non-tariff barriers.
	A commitment to a work programme on trade, debt and finance.
	Systematic attention throughout the text to the issue of capacity building.
	A comprehensive set of commitments on the particular needs of the least-developed countries, including a commitment to the objective of duty and quota free market access plus a commitment to make their accession process faster.
	A review of Special and Differential treatment—across all WTO business areas—to strengthen these provisions and make them more precise, operational and effective.
	14.

World Trade Organisation

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the implications of the outcome of the WTO 4 ministerial conference for developing countries.

Clare Short: The UK is committed to negotiations which bring real benefits to developing countries. The ministerial declaration includes a number of commitments in areas of vital importance to developing countries including, agricultural liberalisation and action on tariff peaks for industrial goods. Of particular importance is the agreement on TRIPS and public health.
	The ministerial declaration also places a heavy requirement on donor countries to meet the trade-related technical assistance requirements, both in terms of financial resources but also to ensure effective delivery. This will require changes in working practices by both bilateral and multilateral agencies. The UK has taken the lead in this area and has pledged £20 million over the next three years for trade-related technical assistance. We hope other countries will make corresponding pledges.

World Trade Organisation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to implement resolutions of the WTO meeting at Doha to promote fairer terms of trade for developing countries.

Clare Short: The UK has been working for many years to support a round which will benefit developing countries. The ministerial declaration includes a number of commitments in areas of vital importance to developing countries including, for example, agricultural liberalisation and action on tariff peaks for industrial goods. Of particular importance is the agreement on TRIPS and public health.
	The ministerial declaration also places a heavy requirement on donor countries to meet the trade-related technical assistance requirements, both in terms of financial resources but also to ensure effective delivery. This will require changes in working practices by both bilateral and multilateral agencies. The UK has taken the lead in this area and has pledged £20 million over the next three years for trade-related technical assistance. We hope other donor countries will make corresponding pledges.

World Trade Organisation

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the implications of the Doha ministerial meeting on trade for her Department.

Clare Short: The ministerial declaration represents a welcome development agenda for multilateral trade talks for which we have worked for a number of years. But this is only the beginning of negotiations. To achieve Development round we will continue to work to try to ensure that these commitments become a reality.

East and Central Africa

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on UK aid to east and central Africa.

Clare Short: The purpose of UK development assistance is to help the countries of the region to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Where possible we support countries' own poverty reduction strategies, for example by financing work to help them to design and implement pro-poor economic and social policies, improve the quality of governance and tackle HIV/AIDS. In countries affected by conflict we support initiatives to reduce the threat and impact of conflict, and provide emergency and rehabilitation assistance. Total UK assistance to the region in 2000–01 amounted to £516 million. Figures for the UK share of multilateral assistance are not yet available, but in 1999 this totalled £75 million.

Serbia

Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to promote development and poverty reduction in Serbia.

Clare Short: Following the resumption of our bilateral programme in October 2000, we moved quickly to support economic and social reform in Serbia, and to help safeguard the well-being of the poorest people in Serbia. During the winter of 2000 we provided £10 million of emergency aid. We also provided a grant totalling £8.4 million to pay arrears of welfare benefits for the poorest families. We are assisting the Serbian authorities to make key economic, social and governance reforms that are necessary for sustainable and equitable development and poverty reduction. We have supported the development of strategies for reform in privatisation, banking rehabilitation and health care. We have worked closely with the World Bank, with whom we are discussing a joint programme of support to social policy reform. We are funding the work of the Serbian Development Aid Coordination Unit, which is helping the government and donors to use aid effectively.
	Our share of the EU's programme in Serbia in 2001 is £25 million. This is additional to the EU emergency programme, started before the fall of Milosevic, of which our share was £20 million.
	We will shortly publish a Country Strategy Paper for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which describes our future plans for Serbia and Montenegro.

Afghanistan

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is giving to the UN to enable the co-ordination of humanitarian relief to Afghanistan.

Clare Short: We have set aside £40 million to respond to the current crisis affecting Afghans in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries. About £37 million has already been allocated to agencies for their work in the region to fulfil their humanitarian goals. This includes £24 million to UN agencies. Our financial assistance is complemented by the provision of technical personnel, logistical, material and other practical support.
	Co-ordination of humanitarian assistance is the responsibility of the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which has appointed a Regional Humanitarian Co-ordinator based in Islamabad. We have allocated £2 million to OCHA in response to the current crisis to support these efforts. This includes the provision of technical personnel who have set up a humanitarian information centre (HIC) to collate and communicate humanitarian information on the needs and programmes to all concerned agencies. This contribution is also being used to increase the capacity of the offices of the UN resident co-ordinators in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan; and to deploy personnel and equipment to support the UN in re-establishing its presence in Afghanistan.
	We have also provided £1 million to support the work of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, who is working to develop a consensus among Afghans and the international community on the future governance of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Clare Short: The humanitarian situation remains fragile. However, UN agencies, particularly the World Food Programme, and the Red Cross Movement continue to make good and steady progress in the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Afghanistan.
	The World Food Programme met its target for October of delivering 53,000 tonnes of food into Afghanistan and Afghan staff have managed to keep supplies moving inside the country. The situation inside Afghanistan is changing rapidly. We will work with the World Food Programme to try to ensure that supplies continue to be delivered into Afghanistan and within the country.

Afghanistan

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking to ensure that aid going to Afghanistan is reaching Afghan refugees.

Clare Short: My Department is channelling its humanitarian assistance to Afghans through international humanitarian organisations and non-governmental organisations with experience in the region and a track record to deliver. Our best assessment, based on information from a range of humanitarian agencies suggests that distribution systems inside Afghanistan have by and large continued to deliver to those in need.
	There are good prospects for opening additional routes into the country, particularly with the changing political situation. We hope that the international organisations, particularly the UN and Red Cross, will be able to improve delivery of food, healthcare, and other assistance and that some of the internally displaced will be able to return home before the winter gets worse. Plans are now being made for their international staff to return as soon as possible. In addition, we hope that it will be possible to accelerate deliveries so that winter stockpiles can be built closer to the people who need them. However, such progress is dependant on improved security.

Afghanistan

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to her oral statement of 1 November 2001, Official Report, column 1100, what proposals she has for the collection of unexploded cluster bomb ordnance by (a) the Halo Trust and (b) other organisations in the next 10 years.

Clare Short: I announced an allocation of £2 million for immediate humanitarian mine action assistance to Afghanistan on 15 November. We expect this to include the clearance of unexploded cluster bomb ordnance. Our assistance will be channelled through the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with whom we will discuss appropriate requirements including projects with UK demining organisations, including the Halo Trust.

Afghanistan

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the Government are planning to provide to de-mining operations in Afghanistan.

Clare Short: I announced an allocation of £2 million for immediate humanitarian mine action assistance to Afghanistan on 15 November. Our assistance will be channelled through the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) with whom we will discuss appropriate requirements.

Poor Counties

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the connection between poverty and poor governance.

Clare Short: Poor countries frequently suffer weak administrative systems, badly managed security sectors, corruption and weak economic management.
	Without effective government, poor countries will not be able to achieve the millennium development goals. This argument is set out in our White Paper "Making Globalisation Work for the Poor" and has recently been elaborated in a strategy paper, "Making Government Work for Poor People". This describes the governance capabilities developing and transitional countries require to reduce poverty. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library and on DFlD's website.

Ministerial Meeting

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her recent meeting with the presidents of Uganda and Rwanda.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to my oral answer earlier today to the question asked by the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) at columns 305-6.

UN Humanitarian Aid

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she next expects to meet the Secretary-General of the UN to discuss the effectiveness of UN humanitarian aid.

Clare Short: I have no specific plans at the moment to meet the Secretary-General of the United Nations, but expect our paths will cross at one of the many forthcoming high level meetings. My Department is in regular contact with colleagues at the United Nations on a wide range of issues, including the effectiveness of UN humanitarian aid.

Infant Mortality

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to tackle high levels of infant mortality in poorer countries.

Clare Short: We are strongly committed to mobilising the international development system to meet the Millennium Development Goal of reducing child and infant mortality by two thirds by 2015. Two million child deaths could be averted by improving routine immunisation coverage and introducing appropriate new vaccines in poor countries. We are providing substantial support to this work through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) and work closely in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF. This must be underpinned by strengthened health systems, better health worker skills and better caring practices within the home and community, and we have committed over £1 billion since 1997 to help governments with this task.
	As two thirds of all infant deaths occur in the first month of life, DFID is taking an active role in promoting newborn and maternal health as a priority within the international health agenda. We work in a range of sectors, in particular water and sanitation and female education which also impact on mortality rates.

EU Aid

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking to improve the quality and transparency of EU aid programmes.

Clare Short: We have worked hard, and with some success, to promote reform of the Community's aid programmes and policies. There have been a number of important steps forward, in particular a new Development Policy focused on the overall objective of poverty elimination and the Commission's management reforms. Early next year the Commission will publish the first Annual Report on Community External Assistance. While the content of this report is likely to reflect the weaknesses of existing programmes, we believe this improved transparency and accountability will help all concerned to drive forward the implementation of the reform agenda.

Aid Budget

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of her Department's spending on humanitarian and other reliefs in Afghanistan and Pakistan is (a) new additional spending and (b) diverted from other budgets.

Clare Short: Since 11 September, we have set aside £40 million in additional funds for immediate humanitarian assistance to Afghans in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. £25 million came from DFlD's reserve and £15 million from the Treasury central reserve.
	I have also allocated an additional £26 million for Pakistan, which is supplementary to the annual £15 million programme for poverty reduction in Pakistan. £4 million was allocated from my department's Asia performance fund, £7 million came from DFlD's reserve, and £15 million came from Treasury central reserve.
	Funding has not been diverted from other DFID programmes.

Trade (Developing Countries)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to enhance developing countries' capacity to trade.

Clare Short: We are at the forefront of efforts to enhance developing countries' capacity to trade. In the White Paper on Globalisation we undertook to double our commitment over the next three years. We have recently pledged a £20 million package of trade related capacity building which will take us towards this goal. The capacity of developing countries to trade can be enhanced through five distinct forms of support: policy research and trade strategy development, participatory policy formulation processes, co-ordination of trade policy with national development strategies, participation in international trade negotiations and implementation of trade agreements.
	We are providing trade related technical assistance through three main channels. The first is institutional support—for example, the advisory centre on WTO law, which provides legal support to developing countries pursuing cases in the dispute settlement mechanism. The second is support through multilateral institutions—for example, working with the World Bank, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, United Nations Development Programme, World Trade Organisation and International Trade Centre to prioritise trade within development programmes and strategies. The third is bilateral and regional support, for example, DFlD's Africa Trade and Poverty programme which aims to help developing countries analyse the linkages between trade, poverty and sustainable economic and social development.

Subsidised Food Dumping

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which developing countries' domestic agricultural systems are threatened by subsidised food dumping from the industrial world; which countries bear responsibility for such dumping; and what representations she has made on this matter.

Clare Short: Many developing countries suffer from subsidised food being dumped on their markets. Owing to the complexity of subsidies and the widespread use of subsidies in industrialised nations, it is difficult to determine exactly which developing countries are being harmed by dumped subsidised food and to what extent. However, the EU is one of the principal users of subsidies. For this and other reasons the Government are strongly committed to fundamental reform of the CAP.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Sponsorship

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met representatives of (a) each of the national museums and galleries sponsored by her Department, (b) the British Hospitality Association, (c) the Football Association, (d) the Rugby Football Union, (e) the British Weight Lifters' Association, (f) the Lawn Tennis Association, (g) Theatres in Trust, (h) Equity, (i) PACT, (j) regional arts boards, (k) regional tourist boards, (l) the BBC, (m) ITV, (n) ITN, (o) the British Tourist Authority, (p) the English Tourism Council, (q) the Football Foundation, (r) the New Opportunities Fund, (s) English Heritage, (t) the Communities Fund, (u) UK Sport, (v) Sport England, (w) the Arts Council for England, (x) the Film Council, (y) Wembley National Stadium Ltd., (z) the National Campaign for the Arts and (aa) Sky Television.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 15 October 2001
	My ministerial team and I have met representatives of virtually all the organisations listed here, at meetings at the Department or elsewhere.
	Those I have met in person and at the Department are (a) each of the national museums and galleries sponsored by my Department (18 July), (b) the British Hospitality Association (10 October), (c) the Football Association (25 September), (j) regional arts boards (16 June), (k) regional tourist boards (10 October), (l) the BBC (13 September), (n) ITN Network (30 October), (o) the British Tourist Authority (10 October), (p) the English Tourism Council (10 October), (r) the New Opportunities Fund (21 June), (t) the Communities Fund (21 June), (u) UK Sport (31 October), (v) Sport England (4 October), (w) the Arts Council for England (19 June), (x) The Film Council (28 June) and (aa) Sky Television (23 July).
	Other Ministers in my Department have also met many of these organisations on various occasions. They have also met representatives of the other organisations listed. In addition I have met representatives of many of these bodies at events outside my Department.

Public Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many appointments she has made to public bodies since 7 June; and how many are in her gift.

Tessa Jowell: Information about the number of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are placed in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's Internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies", which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.
	I am directly responsible for 395 appointments to public bodies. Since 7 June, I have made 60 such appointments. These figures do not include those appointments to public bodies sponsored by my Department where my role is to advise on appointments made by the Prime Minister or through him by Her Majesty The Queen.

Tourism

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the funds made available by (a) her Department and (b) other agencies for the marketing of England as a tourist destination.

Kim Howells: No provision was made in the Public Expenditure Plans for the marketing of England as a tourist destination by any agency. We did, however, provide £3.8 million of additional resources to the English Tourism Council this spring to provide information services and promotion to British people about England as a tourism destination. This was part of the Government's response to the Foot and Mouth outbreak. £2.6 million of this money was spent on marketing and promotion at England or regional level.
	£49.7 million in total has been provided to the British Tourist Authority this year to market Britain, including England, abroad to tourists. Regional Development Agencies and local government also direct public funding towards marketing their parts of England.

World Athletics Championships

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Minister in her Department has Ministerial responsibility for the hosting of the 2005 World Athletics Championships.

Tessa Jowell: As Secretary of State, I have overall responsibility for the hosting of the 2005 World Athletics Championships and I am supported in this by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport.

World Athletics Championships

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what venues were considered by her Department as possible venues for the hosting of the 2005 World Athletics Championships after the decision was taken not to host the games at Lee Valley;
	(2)  on what date the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn), was removed from decision-making regarding the staging of the 2005 World Athletics Championships; and if she will make a statement on the nature of that removal;
	(3)  on what date Sheffield became a potential contender for hosting the 2005 World Athletics Championships.

Tessa Jowell: Patrick Carter's report on the Lee Valley Stadium project identified the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield and the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester as the two most promising alternative venues for hosting the 2005 World Athletics Championships.
	When I received and read Patrick Carter's report I issued an instruction that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport should not see the report and any associated papers in view of the fact that Patrick Carter discussed Sheffield as a possible alternative venue and my right hon. Friend's possible constituency interest. I agreed with my right hon. Friend that once a decision had been made on the future of the Lee Valley project or, if the decision was not to proceed, a decision had been taken on an alternative venue for the World Athletics Championships, that he would be brought into the discussions and papers would be circulated to him in the normal way. An instruction to this effect was issued in accordance with the Ministerial code on 3 September.
	An evaluation of the Sheffield and Manchester options was carried out by Sport England and my officials following my meeting with Trevor Brooking, Chairman of Sport England, on 24 September to discuss the Lee Valley project and Patrick Carter's report.

Girls' Rugby and Football Teams

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she has taken to encourage schools to set up girls' rugby and football teams with trained coaches.

Richard Caborn: The Government have initiated a number of programmes aimed at encouraging and enabling schools to offer a wider range of sporting opportunities for their pupils. They give all pupils the opportunity to achieve high standards and those with the greatest potential the opportunity to excel at their chosen sport. The 1,000 School Sport Co-ordinators who will be in place by 2004 will have funding for, among other things, bringing sport specific coaches into schools to coach pupils and for building school-club links. Also, Specialist Sports Colleges are funded to provide the lead in innovative practice sharing resources and expertise to achieve high standards. Coaching for Teachers is a joint initiative funded by Sport England and coordinated by sports coach UK, it provides teachers involved in out-of-school-hours activities with low-cost coaching courses. Coaching for Teachers delivers governing body courses in both rugby union and football. Awards for All is a lottery-funded programme focused at four priority groups, one of those being girls and women and provides awards of up to £5,000. These awards can be used to develop out-of-hour learning opportunities, eg training courses for coaches or the hiring of coaches, in schools that preferably link with the local community.

Stadium Projects Review

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will publish the dates of all telephone conversations her Department has had with Patrick Carter since 1 January; and if she will state the nature of what was discussed and place a note of each conversation in the Library;
	(2)  if she will publish the dates of all written communication her Department has had with Patrick Carter since 1 January; what the nature of the communication was; and if she will place a copy of each communication in the Library;
	(3)  when her Department had meetings with Patrick Carter since 1 January; and if she will state the nature of what was discussed; and if she will place a note of each meeting in the Library;
	(4)  if she will publish the (a) instructions and (b) guidelines that she has given to (i) Patrick Carter and (ii) others about aspects of his reviews into (A) the National Stadium project and (B) the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 20 November 2001
	The terms of reference for Patrick Carter's review of the English National Stadium were published on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 37W. They were:
	"In the light of the FA's announcement on 1 May 2001 about the project to develop a new English National Stadium at Wembley for Football and Rugby League, to examine if the project can be funded and managed at Wembley, or if that proved impractical, at another location in England. The review should report to the Government within eight weeks." The terms of reference for the review which Patrick Carter carried out for Sport England into the Lee Valley Stadium were published on 2 July 2001, Official Report, columns 79–80W. They were:
	"In light of the Government's manifesto commitment to ensure that a first-class athletics stadium is available for the World Athletics Championships in 2005, Sport England needs to assess whether the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre project can be funded and managed in its current format and if not, what alternatives might be feasible. The review should report its findings within seven weeks."
	Following the receipt of Patrick Carter's report of his initial work on the National Stadium I asked him to undertake follow-up discussions with the Football Association about the options which he had examined in his report. That work continues.
	Patrick Carter has been assisted in his reviews by officials from my Department as well as others and has therefore had frequent contact with them since the English National Stadium and Lee Valley National Athletics Centre reviews began. He has also been in contact with Ministers and Sport England on a number of occasions during the course of his work. The disclosure of the nature and content of discussions and meetings with Ministers, officials and Sport England, would fall within the exemptions on internal discussion and advice and commercial confidences that are set out in Part ii of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Stadium Projects Review

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will publish the criteria by which Patrick Carter's appointment to conduct a review of (a) the National Stadium project and (b) the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre was made;
	(2)  how many names were considered at each stage of the process to find a person to conduct a review of (a) the National Stadium project and (b) the Lee Valley National Athletics Centre.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 20 November 2001
	The Government announced on 8 May that Patrick Carter had been asked to lead a review of the National Stadium project. That decision was taken in the light of his thorough review of the Commonwealth Games which Ministers had recently considered. No other candidates were considered to lead such a review.
	The decision to appoint Patrick Carter to carry out a review of the Lee Valley project was taken by Sport England and endorsed by me.

Supporters Direct

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will extend Government funding to Supporters Direct to enable them to assist supporters of Rugby League clubs; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: I met the Chairman of Supporters Direct on 4 September to discuss a range of issues including possible assistance to supporters of Rugby League clubs. Discussions are continuing.

Gaming Board

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she will take to implement the recommendations by the Gaming Board for Great Britain on the maximum stakes and prizes in gaming machines.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have considered the Board's recommendations very carefully. We are grateful to them and to the industry associations for the work which has gone into their proposals.
	We have also had to bear in mind the report of the Gambling Review, chaired by Sir Alan Budd, which has also made recommendations about the maximum stakes and prizes in gaming machines. These recommendations of the Gambling Review differed from those made by the Gaming Board in a number of important respects.
	Having considered both sets of recommendations in detail—and in the light of the period of public consultation on the Gambling Review, which ended on 31 October—we have decided to place before Parliament an Order under the Gaming Act 1968 which would increase the maximum prize from an all-cash Amusements with Prizes gaming machine to £25 and the maximum prize from a jackpot gaming machine in a casino to £2,000. That Order will be laid before both Houses shortly.
	We have decided to propose no further changes to the stakes and prizes in gaming machines for the present.
	The changes which we are proposing are supported both by the Gaming Board and the report of the Gambling Review. The Review concluded however that increases in the amounts which can be paid out by gaming machines should be accompanied by changes in the law to make it an offence for people under 18 to play them or to allow people under 18 to play them. It also recommended significant strengthening of industry agreements on preventing under-age play.
	We shall be considering possible changes to the law. In the meantime, we look to the industry to play the fullest and most active part in improving the present arrangements to prevent under-age play of gaming machines. I am asking the Gaming Board for Great Britain to assess whether there are practical improvements in this area, and we will take close account of their conclusions before reaching any conclusions as to further changes in the regulation of gaming machines.

Cultural Exchanges (Argentina)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had to develop cultural exchanges between the United Kingdom and Argentina; and if she will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	Under the Cultural Convention of 1990 with Argentina the British Council is designated as the principal agent of HMG for pursuing bilateral cultural relations. In the last year it has organised arts events mostly through partnerships with local managers, helping major festivals to identify artists from the United Kingdom; it has helped United Kingdom educational providers to exploit opportunities in Argentina, in particular for MBA courses; it has reached out to young audiences through the Buenos Aires Book Fair and book and poster exhibitions and it is developing information services via the internet. It is developing its programme of partnerships between schools in the United Kingdom and Argentina.
	The next meeting of the regular Anglo-Argentina Mixed Commission to decide on the next phase of implementation of the Cultural Convention is scheduled for March 2002.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Foot and Mouth

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to compensate farmers whose cattle reached over 30 months of age as a direct result of the restriction on cattle movements imposed during the foot and mouth crisis.

Elliot Morley: The Government have considered very carefully whether it would be appropriate to pay compensation for losses incurred on cattle which went beyond the 30 month age limit because of movement restrictions imposed during the earlier part of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. We have concluded that it would not. Statutory compensation for losses incurred as a result of the FMD outbreak is only paid on animals which have been slaughtered as a result of FMD, or on property, including animals which have been seized and destroyed in order to prevent the spread of FMD. The Government do not compensate farmers, or businesses, for other, indirect losses.

Illegal Waste Dumping

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the problem of illegal waste dumping; and what co-ordination there is with the National Assembly of Wales on controlling illegal waste dumping.

Michael Meacher: The most recent assessment of the levels of the illegal disposal of waste was carried out by the Tidy Britain Group. The report, "Effects Of Landfill Tax: Reduced Disposal of Inert Waste To Landfill", explored the impact of the landfill tax on fly-tipping, and it confirmed that the type of waste most frequently fly- tipped is household waste. The Fly-tipping Stakeholder's Forum is also currently conducting a study on the scale of fly-tipping on agricultural land.
	My Department maintains close contact with the National Assembly of Wales on all relevant policy issues including on fly-tipping. The National Assembly voted additional funds to support the Environment Agency's targeted waste enforcement project in Wales, now in its second year. This has resulted in an increase in successful prosecutions of offenders.

Scottish Devolution

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by (a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland (Mrs. Liddell) on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 748W.

Smog Levels

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the recent European Environment Agency analysis of smog levels in Europe; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: Peak ozone levels in episodes of "summer smog" are declining as a result of significant emission reductions of ozone precursors in the UK and Europe over the past ten years or so. Peak ozone levels should continue to decline as a result of the further measures which the UK and other European countries will take in accordance with the EC National Emission Ceilings Directive and the UNECE Gothenburg Protocol. There has not been as yet a decline in average ozone levels. The significance of this for public health is still under investigation.

Pollution

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce comprehensive pollution inventories.

Michael Meacher: The Government are strongly committed to the public's right to know about polluting emissions. The Environment Agency has a comprehensive Pollution Inventory that provides easy access to annual emissions data on 150 pollutants from over 2,000 of the most potentially polluting industrial processes in England and Wales. The public can access this information through the Environment Agency's website www.environmentagency.gov.uk and from local Environment Agency offices (general line: 0845 9333 111).
	The Environment Agency is working on improving the scope of the Inventory. This year the Inventory has been expanded to include emissions from nuclear sites and large sewage treatment works. Over the next year more sectors will be added including major landfill sites, more sewage treatment works, and radioactive emissions from non-nuclear sites.
	The number of sites reporting will increase to around 7,000 in 2003 as a result of the implementation of the European Union Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC). The IPPC Directive requires member states to report emission levels to the European Commission so that an inventory of principal emissions and their sources, known as the European Pollutant Emissions Register (EPER), can be produced. The EPER will initially require reporting on 50 pollutants released to air and water every three years with the first year of reporting commencing in 2003.

Departmental Staff

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff at her Department's office in Worcester performing comparable duties are on different rates of pay; what is the reason for such discrepancy; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: There are around 300 permanent and casual staff working at my Department's offices in Worcester. Some of these staff have transferred to the newly created Rural Payments Agency but have retained their existing terms and conditions. All permanent staff are employed under the same pay arrangements and conditions of employment. Variations in individual levels of pay of staff doing work of equal value occur because of a number of factors but principally because pay is linked to individual performance.
	The foot and mouth disease (FMD) emergency has necessitated staff from other Government Departments being temporarily seconded to DEFRA. These staff have retained the pay, terms and conditions of their parent department. During the FMD emergency, others at Worcester have been employed temporarily on specific contractual terms (ie fee-paid temporary veterinary inspectors, consultants).

Departmental Staff

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the employees in (a) her Department and (b) agencies sponsored by her Department work in (i) London, (ii) areas benefiting from EU Objective 1 status, (iii) areas with Objective 2 status and (iv) other areas.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The number of permanent civil servants employed by DEFRA and its agencies as at 1 October 2001 is given below. The figure for DEFRA includes staff who were in the process of transferring to the Rural Payments Agency. The information on the number of staff working in areas benefiting from EU Objective 1 and Objective 2 status is unavailable due to the disproportionate cost of collection.
	
		
			  London Elsewhere Total 
		
		
			 DEFRA 2,535 6,092 8,627 
			 Agencies 0 2,642 2,642 
			  
			 Total 2,535 8,734 11,269

Organic Farms

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish a comprehensive breakdown of the numbers of certified organic farms by (a) county and (b) borough in England and Wales, in the last four years; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The information is not available in the form requested, but I shall make available to my hon. Friend lists of organic producers and processors of organic food registered with organic certifiers.

White Goods Disposal

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements she has made for the disposal of unwanted fridges and freezers from 1 January 2002 under European Directive 2037/2000.

Michael Meacher: EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 on Ozone Depleting Substances will require "controlled substances" (including CFCs) in coolants and in insulating foam to be removed before recycling or reclamation of refrigeration units. Although the UK does not currently have facilities capable of extracting ozone depleting substances, including CFCs, from insulation foam, it is anticipated that some plant may come on-line as early as spring 2002. My Department is finalising measures to manage waste refrigeration equipment in the interim. Advice on storage of waste refrigeration equipment will issue shortly. We are currently considering funding options for local authorities.

Food Borrowing

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the level of borrowing in the agricultural industry.

Elliot Morley: The latest available information is that published in Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2000 and is given in the table. Estimates for 2000 will be published in March 2002.
	
		Total liabilities of UK agriculture -- £ million at current prices
		
			 Liabilities 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999(17) 
		
		
			  Long and medium term: 
			 AMC, SASC, and LIC 1,168 1,215 1,288 1,321 1,381 
			 Building Societies and Institutions 255 317 305 370 365 
			 Bank loans 1,602 1,859 1,882 2,268 2,199 
			 Family loans 326 357 326 409 461 
			 Other 157 167 185 210 143 
			  
			 Total long and medium term 3,508 3,914 3,986 4,579 4,550 
			   
			  Short term: 
			 Hire purchase 656 744 662 546 457 
			 Leasing 265 195 179 186 136 
			 Trade Credit 1,283 1,378 1,175 1,214 1,155 
			 Bank overdrafts 2,591 2,408 2,598 2,787 2,923 
			 Other 137 152 166 176 146 
			  
			 Total short term 4,932 4,876 4,780 4,910 4,819 
			   
			 Total Liabilities 8,440 8,790 8,767 9,488 9,368 
		
	
	(17) Provisional
	Source:
	Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2000

Waste Recycling

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to improve co-ordination between public bodies with special reference to local councils, over meeting the Government's waste recycling targets.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 16 November 2000
	We provided guidance to local authorities on producing Municipal Waste Management Strategies published in March this year, which encouraged partnership working, as a key means for delivering the statutory targets on recycling.
	Today, we are publishing a Consultation Paper on the distribution of £140 million of additional funding for local authority waste minimisation and recycling. In that Paper we suggest that partnership working between authorities to deliver higher recycling might be one of the funding priorities.
	The Consultation Paper also consults on a mechanism for allowing local authorities to 'pool' their statutory performance standards for recycling and composting of household waste. In doing so we are responding to those local authorities who have told us that this will help to deliver partnership working.
	Copies of the consultation paper are available in Libraries of the House.

Rural White Paper

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being used to assess the programme of protecting and enhancing the countryside as set out in Objective 11 of Table 14.1 of the Rural White Paper in relation to (a) biodiversity, (b) tranquillity, (c) heritage and (d) landscape character.

Alun Michael: The Department is working with the Countryside Agency, English Nature, English Heritage and the Natural Environment Research Council's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to develop proposals for an indicator of change in countryside quality. Further research to develop the indicator is currently being commissioned. The research will use existing national datasets about changing countryside character, including agriculture, forestry and land use change statistics and, from Countryside Survey 2000, information on landscape features and biodiversity. New data on traditional farm buildings are being collated by English Heritage and the Countryside Agency. The research will consider tranquillity as an aspect of countryside character. It is intended that the indicator will be available for publication in 2004.
	In addition we have an extensive programme for monitoring the effects of our agri-environment schemes, on biodiversity in particular.

Farm Incomes

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) total income from farming and (b) total off-farming income was in rural areas in the United Kingdom in (i) 1996, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998, (iv) 1999, (v) 2000 and (vi) 2001.

Alun Michael: The table provides total income from farming for the years 1996 to 2000 in real terms at 2000 prices in absolute terms and on a per head basis.
	
		
			  Year  UK total income from farming (TIFF) (£ million) UK total income from farming per whole time person equivalent (£) 
		
		
			 1996 5,612 23,279 
			 1997 3,434 14,352 
			 1998 2,510 10,612 
			 1999 2,578 11,274 
			 2000(18) 2,578 8,492 
		
	
	(18) Provisional.
	The forecast of UK total income from farming for 2001 will be published on 29 November 2001.
	The table shows the United Kingdom off-farm income for farms where off-farm income covers income from employment or self employment away from the farm, and unearned income from investments, pensions and social payments.
	
		
			  Year Total off-farm income (£ million) Total off-farm income (£ per farm) 
		
		
			 1996 659 5,100 
			 1997 630 4,900 
			 1998 669 5,300 
			 1999 624 5,000 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for 2000 and 2001 are not yet available.

Rural Parishes

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the latest date for which figures are available, what proportion of parishes in the countryside were classified as (a) vibrant, (b) active, (c) barely active and (d) sleeping, stating in each case the measures used.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency's State of the Countryside Report 2001 set out indicators for community vibrancy using a selection of community activities such as contested parish council elections and annual events. Building on from this information preliminary work to re-evaluate the full database of parishes suggests that: 27 per cent. of parishes were vibrant, 38 per cent. active, 26 per cent. barely active and 9 per cent. sleeping.

Rural Deprivation

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of people living in rural wards in the United Kingdom were in low income bands compared to the national average in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000 and (f) 2001.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency is planning to establish a baseline for low incomes for the 2002 State of the Countryside Report. This will use the 1998 classification of rural wards and from late 2002 will use data on low income from the Office for National Statistics (this is the first time that data of this nature will be available). Reliable time series data for low income bands are not available for wards.

Business Start-Ups

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new business start-ups there were in rural areas in the United Kingdom in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000 and (f) 2001.

Alun Michael: Data on business start-ups in rural areas are not readily available. Information on VAT registrations for the year ending April 2000 indicates that there were 41,540 registrations in rural England. Information on earlier years is not available.

Rural Crime

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of reported crime by category there were in rural areas in the United Kingdom in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001.

Alun Michael: Home Office data on recorded crime in rural England for the 12 months to March 2001 are taken from the Crime Reduction Partnership Areas linked to all local authorities. Data collected in previous years cannot be directly compared as they used Basic Command Units (Police Force Administration Units) whose boundaries do not all coincide with local authority ones.
	Population weighted figures—number of offences per 1,000 population were: violence 6.54, sexual 0.45, robbery 0.31, burglary (dwelling) 4.06, theft of vehicle 2.91, theft from vehicle 7.61.

Local Education Authorities

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local education authorities in England and Wales are classified as rural.

Alun Michael: There is no classification of local education authorities. Most local education authorities which cover rural areas also contain urban areas.

Rural Employment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of people between 16 and 60 years old in rural areas in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000 and (f) 2001 were active in (i) full-time, (ii) part-time and (iii) seasonal work.

Alun Michael: The percentage of people aged 16 and over in rural areas in England in full-time and part-time employment was as follows:
	
		
			 Year Full-time Part-time 
		
		
			 1996 73.11 28.02 
			 1997 73.58 26.96 
			 1998 73.49 27.31 
			 1999 73.44 27.67 
			 2000 72.99 27.79 
			 2001 73.13 28.16 
		
	
	Reliable information on seasonal employment is not readily available.

Market Towns

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of market towns are classified as (a) thriving, (b) stable and (c) declining at the latest date for which figures are available, stating in each case the measures used.

Alun Michael: No classification is available at present. However, The Countryside Agency has embarked on a research project to look into the health and viability of Market Towns. The project will inform on the development economic and social indicators. It is expected to report by February 2003.

Civic Amenities

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of households in the United Kingdom were within 4 km of (a) food shops, (b) post offices, (c) cash points, (d) child nurseries, (e) primary schools and (f) GP surgeries in (i) 2000 and (ii) for the latest date for which figures are available.

Alun Michael: In 2000 the percentage of rural households in England living within 4 km of services was as follows:
	Foodshops (supermarkets) 79 per cent., post offices 99 per cent., cash points 79 per cent., primary schools 99 per cent., GP surgeries 86 per cent. Data are not available for child nurseries.
	It should be noted that 22 per cent. of rural settlement have a general store (selling a range of household goods including basic foodstuffs) and 28 per cent. have a small village shop (a sole shop selling mainly food).
	This is the latest date for which figures are available. The figures for 2001 will be reported on by the Countryside Agency in April 2002. They have a research project for child care in preparation.

Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the progress of the hake recovery programme in (a) area VII and (b) area VIII.

Elliot Morley: The European Commission adopted an emergency Regulation in June for a hake recovery plan. Some of these measures came into force on 30 June and others on 1 September. It is too early to assess their effectiveness.

Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she expects to introduce a shellfish licensing scheme for those fishing areas under her authority;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of responses to her Department's proposed shellfish licensing scheme.

Elliot Morley: The vast majority of the 250 English and Welsh responses to the Department's consultation document supported the proposed UK restrictive licensing scheme for certain vulnerable species of shellfish, but there was a great diversity of views on its practical implementation. In the light of this, DEFRA officials are currently discussing the various elements with the other Fisheries Departments in the UK, with a view to an announcement on an appropriate way forward before the end of the year.

Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of (a) fishing stock health and viability and (b) indicative quota for 2002 by (i) species and (ii) fishing area or zone.

Elliot Morley: In October the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management (ACFM) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) produced its latest assessment of the state of fish stocks in the north east Atlantic. A summary of the assessment and its possible implications for quota levels for 2002 of stocks of interest to the United Kingdom follows:
	
		DEFRA interpretation of ACFM advice for TACs for 2002
		
			 Stock (species and ICES area) 2001 TAC (tonnes) 2002 TAC(19) TAC change from 2001 to 2002 (percentage) 
			 a b c d 
		
		
			 Sandeels IIa NS 1,020,000 No advice — 
			 Herring I, II 851,500 853,000 +0.2 
			 Herring IVa, b 265,000 265,000 to 303,000 Rollover to +14.3 
			 Herring IVc, VIId — — — 
			 Herring Vb, VIaN, VIb 36,360 30,000 -17.5 
			 Herring VIa (Clyde) 1,000 1,000 Rollover 
			 Herring VIIa 6,900 6,500 -5.8 
			 Herring VIIe, f 1,000 No advice — 
			 Herring VIIg-k 20,000 (20)6,000 (20)-40.0 
			 Herring IIa NS Ind. by-catch 36,000 23,000 to 50,000 -36.1 to +38.9 
			 Cod IIa, NS 48,600 LPL — 
			 Cod Vb, VI, XII, XIV 3,700 LPL — 
			 Cod VIIa 2,100 LPL — 
			 Cod VIIb-k, VIII, IX, X 10,500 7,300 -30.5 
			 Megrim IIa NS 2,700 No advice — 
			 Megrim Vb, VI, XII, XIV 4,360 4,360 Rollover 
			 Megrim VII 15,000 13,000 -13.3 
			 Dab and Flounder IIa NS 27,060 No advice — 
			 Anglers IIa NS 14,130 10,000 -51.3 
			 Anglers Vb, VI, XII, XIV 6,400 — — 
			 Anglers VII 21,700 15,520 -28.5 
			 Haddock IIa, IV 61,000 112,000 +83.6 
			 Haddock Vb, VI, XII, XIV 13,900 15,400 +10.8 
			 Haddock VII, VIII, IX, X 12,000 8,000 -33.3 
			 Haddock VIIa 2,700 1,200 -55.6 
			 Whiting IIa, NS 29,700 45,000 +51.5 
			 Whiting Vb, VI, XII, XIV 4,000 2,000 -50.0 
			 Whiting VIIa 1,390 LPL — 
			 Whiting VIIb-k 21,000 32,200 +53.3 
			 Hake IIa, NS 870 LPL — 
			 Hake Vb, VI, VII, XII, XIV 13,920 LPL — 
			 Blue whiting IIa NS 90,000 (21)— — 
			 Blue whiting Vb, VI, VII, XII, XIV 407,000 — — 
			 Blue whiting VIIIabde 26,500 — — 
			 Lemon sole and witch IIa NS 10,800 No advice — 
			 Nephrops IIa, NS 15,480 18,470 +19.3 
			 Nephrops Vb, VI 11,340 11,300 -0.4 
			 Nephrops VII 18,900 17,790 -5.9 
			 Northern prawn IIa, NS 6,504 No advice — 
			 Plaice IIa, NS 78,000 77,000 -1.3 
			 Plaice Vb, VI, XII, XIV 1,920 No advice — 
			 Plaice VIIa 2,000 2,800 -40.0 
			 Plaice VIId, e 6,000 6,690 +11.5 
			 Plaice VIIf, g 760 680 -10.5 
			 Plaice VIIh, j, k 1,215 No advice — 
			 Pollack Vb, VI, XII, XIV 1,100 No advice — 
			 Pollack VII 17,000 No advice — 
			 Saithe IIa, IIIb, c, d, NS 87,000 135,000 +55.2 
			 Saithe Vb, VI, XII, XIV 9,000 13,000 +44.4 
			 Saithe VII, VIII, IX, X 5,600 No advice — 
			 Turbot and brill IIa NS 7,200 No advice — 
			 Skate and rays IIa NS 4,848 No advice — 
			 Mackerel IIa(EC), III, IV 625,000 652,000 +4.3 
			 Mackerel IIa (nonEC), Vb, VI, VII, VIIIabde, XII, XIV — — (20)DIV/0 
			 Sole II, NS 19,000 14,300 -24.7 
			 Sole Vb, VI, XII, VIX 140 No advice — 
			 Sole VIIa 1,100 1,100 Rollover 
			 Sole VIId 4,600 5,200 +13.0 
			 Sole VIIe 600 450 -25.0 
			 Sole VIIf, g 1,020 1,000 -2.0 
			 Sole VIIh, j, k 650 No advice — 
			 Sprat IIa, NS 232,000 225,000 -3.0 
			 Sprat VIId, e 12,000 12,000 Rollover 
			 Spurdog IIa, NS 9,070 No advice — 
			 Horse mackerel IIa, NS 51,000 18,000 -64.7 
			 Horse mackerel Vb, VI, VII, VIIIa, b, d, e, XII, XIV 240,000 98,000 -59.2 
		
	
	(19) As recommended by ACFM (tonnes)
	(20) TAC recommendation for first half of 2002 only. ICES will provide a
	(21) Closure until a rebuilding plan is agreed
	Note:
	LPL—Lowest Possible Limit

Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of progress in meeting the objectives of the cod recovery programme in the North sea.

Elliot Morley: Good progress has been made. Commission Regulation 259/2001 established areas which are closed to most types of fishing between 14 February and 30 April 2001 to allow the maximum possible number of cod to spawn. We will not be able to asses how successful this has been before spring 2003 when the cod spawned should be large enough to be found in significant numbers in ground fish surveys.
	The second part of the cod recovery plan puts in place a package of longer term technical conservation measures to promote recovery of North sea cod. These measures come into effect on 1 January 2002.

Fishing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to extend the work of the (a) Irish Sea Management Committee, (b) cod recovery programme and (c) hake recovery programme.

Elliot Morley: We are not aware of an Irish Sea Management Committee. Fisheries are managed at European Union level under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
	The Government, with UK fishermen, played a significant role in reaching agreement within the EU on packages of measures to promote recovery of Irish sea, North sea and West of Scotland cod and Northern hake.
	We expect proposals shortly from the Commission for further measures on recovery of hake and cod and stand ready to play a full part in negotiating them.

Rural Task Force

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the remit of the Rural Task Force.

Alun Michael: The Prime Minister gave the Task Force the following terms of reference when it was established in March 2001.
	"To consider the implications of outbreak of foot and mouth disease for rural economy, both immediately and in the longer term, and to report to the Prime Minister on appropriate measures. In particular to:
	identify the problems that the FMD outbreak is causing for the wider rural economy;
	draw up specific guidance for the public and businesses in accordance with veterinary advice;
	identify any initiatives—eg from the Rural White Paper—whose implementation might be brought forward to help those caught up in the crises;
	identify potential new actions which would help to kick-start the rural economy again once the outbreak had been eradicated."
	These remain unchanged.

Supermarkets

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 306W, if she will make it her policy to send a copy of the Code of Practice on relationships between supermarkets and suppliers to all farmers and growers in Worcestershire after the agreement of the four major retailers to the code has been obtained.

Elliot Morley: As I noted in my reply to the hon. Gentleman on 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 306W, the Code of Practice is available on the DTI website. Copies may also be obtained from the Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET. We have no plans to send copies to all farmers and growers in Worcestershire, relatively few of whom are likely to sell their produce directly to the supermarkets who will be bound by it.

Dangerous Wild Animals Act

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent guidance she has issued to local authorities in respect of their powers and duties under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) use by the local authorities of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 in relation to the sale of animals subject to the Act.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 19 November 2001
	No recent guidance has been issued to local authorities in respect of their powers under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. However, my Department recently commissioned an independent review of the Act.
	A copy of the review report is on the Department's website and comments on it have been invited by 31 January 2002. Once this consultation exercise has been completed, we will publish a paper setting out how we intend to take forward the report's recommendations, which include proposals that additional guidance should be provided for local authorities, and that it should be an offence to sell, give or otherwise transfer responsibility for a dangerous wild animal to an unlicensed keeper.

Combined Heat and Power

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government's CHP strategy will be published.

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government's CHP strategy will be published.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 19 July 2001
	We will be issuing a draft Government strategy for consultation by the end of this year.

UK Fuel Poverty Strategy

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the final version of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy will be published.

Michael Meacher: The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy has been published today and copies are being placed in the Library of the House.

Rural Bus Services

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to provide door-to-door public transport services for those unable to walk to rural bus stops.

Sally Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are specifically supporting the development of demand responsive, door-to-door transport services in rural areas, especially through DTLR's Rural Bus Challenge and the Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership programme. The Rural White Paper published last year announced £92 million would be made available over the next three years to fund these two initiatives. Many of these services will also benefit as a result of the Government's intention to extend eligibility to receive fuel duty rebate to a wide range of community transport services. Following consultation earlier this year, regulations implementing this change will be introduced later this financial year.

Rural Bus Services

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of households in rural areas lived within 10 minutes walk of at least hourly bus services in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000 and (f) 2001.

Sally Keeble: I have been asked to reply.
	The proportion of households in rural areas within Great Britain living within about 10 minutes walk of a bus stop with at least an hourly service was:
	
		
			 Year Percentage 
		
		
			 1992–94 44 
			 1995–97 41 
			 1998–2000 50 
		
	
	Trends should be treated with caution as sample sizes for rural areas are small, despite aggregation of data over a three year period.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters he has received from residents of the Buckingham constituency (a) supporting and (b) opposing military action in Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: Since 11 September the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received over 6,000 letters about the terrorist attacks against the US and the subsequent situation in Afghanistan. Of these some 400 letters were addressed to the Foreign Secretary. The letters have addressed a wide range of different themes related to the current crisis. Each letter has received a reply.
	It is not possible to provide a breakdown by constituency without incurring disproportionate cost.

European Union

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards the establishment of a pan-Union referendum following the next Intergovernmental Conference.

Peter Hain: Treaty change is a matter for member states to decide by unanimity in accordance with their own constitutional requirements. In the United Kingdom, this involves a ratification procedure requiring legislation. It is right that Parliament should decide on the results the Government achieve at Intergovernmental Conferences.

European Union

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the European Women's Lobby concerning (a) its campaign and (b) receiving EU funding.

Peter Hain: I have not received representations from the European Women's Lobby.

European Union

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards a second chamber of the European Parliament.

Peter Hain: The Prime Minister has proposed that representatives of national parliaments be more involved in European matters through a Second Chamber of the European Parliament which could review the EU's work and provide democratic oversight at a European level of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
	The role of national parliaments in the European architecture is one of the agenda items for the next Intergovernmental Conference in 2004.

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date his Department established a working group of officials to prepare his Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up.

Denis MacShane: A steering group of senior officials was set up in August 2000 to oversee implementation of the FOI Act and a dedicated unit has been working on preparations to implement the Act.
	FCO officials meet regularly to review progress.

Biological Weapons

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what powers individuals can be (a) prosecuted and (b) extradited for activities involving biological weapons.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 14 November 2001
	Individuals can be prosecuted under Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974. It is an offence for any person to develop, produce, stockpile, acquire or retain any biological agent or toxin where there is no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes. A person in possession of a biological weapon for terrorist purposes would also commit an offence under section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The United Kingdom has extradition arrangements with well over 100 countries. In most cases, a crime is extraditable if the available prison sentence in the United Kingdom and in the requesting jurisdiction is 12 months or more.

EU Documents (Security Classification)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the requirements for EU documents to receive security classification, broken down by security grade.

Peter Hain: EU information may be classified at the following levels:
	TRES SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET
	SECRET UE
	CONFIDENTIEL UE
	RESTREINT UE.
	The criteria for classification are laid down in the Council Decision concerning the adoption of the Council Security Regulations (Council Decision No. 2001/264/EU adopted on 19 March 2001).
	The criteria are:
	1. TRES SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET: This classification shall be applied only to information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could cause exceptionally grave prejudice to the essential interests of the European Union or of one or more of its member states.
	2. SECRET UE: This classification shall be applied only to information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could seriously harm the essential interests of the European Union or of one or more of its member states.
	3. CONFIDENTIEL UE: This classification shall be applied to information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could harm the essential interests of the European Union or of one or more of its member states.
	4. RESTREINT UE: This classification shall be applied to information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could be disadvantageous to the interests of the European Union or of one or more of its member states.

Macedonia

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made regarding the role of an elite police unit in Trebos, Macedonia, during its recent deployment.

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the deaths of three Macedonian soldiers near the village of Trebos, Macedonia, on 11 November.

Denis MacShane: Three Macedonian policemen were killed near Trebos, Macedonia, on 11 November. This incident shows that the security situation remains delicate. We continue to urge all parties to show restraint, not to return to violence, and to co-ordinate and co-operate fully with the OSCE and NATO to ensure successful and peaceful redeployment of Macedonian security forces.

International War Crimes Tribunal

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have been charged with offences before the International War Crimes Tribunal; and how many have been (a) convicted and (b) acquitted.

Peter Hain: There are two International Criminal Tribunals, that for former Yugoslavia in The Hague (ICTY), and that for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania (ICTR).
	At ICTY, 61 indictees have appeared in proceedings before the tribunal. Twenty-five have been convicted, two acquitted, three have had convictions overturned on appeal, 17 are at pre-trial stage, seven on trial, three awaiting sentencing judgment and one awaiting judgment.
	At ICTR, 52 indictees have appeared in proceedings before the tribunal. Nine have been convicted, none have been acquitted or had convictions overturned on appeal, 26 are at the pre-trial stage and 17 currently on trial.
	These statistics and further information are available on the Tribunals' websites at www.un.org.icty and www.ictr.org.
	The United Kingdom ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, in New York, on 4 October 2001, being the 42nd state to do so. Forty-six states have now ratified. The court will be established immediately following the 60th ratification. It will not have retrospective jurisdiction.

Solomon Islands

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of preparations for the forthcoming elections in the Solomon Islands; and if he will make a statement on relations with the Solomon Islands.

Denis MacShane: Preparations for the elections scheduled for 5 December are being co-ordinated by the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission and are progressing well. International donors (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan and the EU) have contributed SI$18.2 million towards the costs of holding the elections, of which the UK has provided £60,000. Our contribution has included providing a co-ordinator to assist the Electoral Commission, deploying international peace monitors/observers, and funding an educational group to tour the country to explain voting procedures. After the election we plan to fund parliamentary workshops for the new MPs.
	Bilateral relations with the Solomon Islands are good. In addition to electoral assistance, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office assistance to the Solomon Islands has included projects to strengthen the judiciary, the police, promote good governance, and protect the environment.

Tuvalu

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Tuvalu.

Denis MacShane: The Pacific Island state of Tuvalu has been an independent realm within the Commonwealth since October 1978. Our relations with Tuvalu, which stretch back well over a hundred years, are warm and friendly.
	Tuvalu consists of a small group of low-lying coral atolls. Potential rises in sea-levels around the world are therefore of considerable concern to the people of Tuvalu.
	The United Kingdom shares Tuvalu's concerns about climate change and the effect that this is having on sea levels. We have played a leading role in encouraging a global response to climate change, and final agreement was reached on 10 November in Marrakech on a set of detailed rules for implementing the Kyoto Protocol. This gives countries the certainty they need to ratify Kyoto, and start making real reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases.

EU Enlargement

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made by (a) Hungary, (b) Poland, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Cyprus, (e) Slovenia, (f) Malta, (g) Lithuania, (h) Estonia, (i) Latvia, (j) Slovakia, (k) Romania and (l) Bulgaria in their respective accession processes to the European Union.

Peter Hain: All candidates in negotiations have made steady progress towards accession. Of the 31 chapters into which the acquis are divided, Cyprus has closed the most (23) and Romania the least (8). Overall, since the beginning of the year, the candidates in negotiations have provisionally closed 74 chapters. This year's Commission Regular Reports, detailing the candidates' progress towards meeting the obligations of EU membership, were published on 13 November. They can be accessed at http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/index.htm.

Conflict Diamonds (al-Qaeda)

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on links between Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and the conflict diamonds trade in Sub-Saharan Africa.

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of al-Qaeda in the illicit trade in diamonds in Sierra Leone.

Peter Hain: Two stories have recently appeared in the media alleging links between Osama Bin Laden and the trade in illicit diamonds. There is little doubt that terrorist organisations, like other criminal groups, have over the years, traded in illicit diamonds to generate funds for their activities. The Kimberley Process was designed to devise a way to break the link between the illicit diamond trade and armed conflict. Urgent completion of its work on an international certification scheme for rough diamonds would also help curb other illegal sales, including those which fund terrorists.

11 September (British Victims)

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list known British victims of the terrorist attacks of 11 September.

Ben Bradshaw: To date, four British nationals, and one foreign national with a close connection to the United Kingdom, have been positively identified as among the dead.
	A further 72 people are on our list of possible victims of the terrorist attacks. This number includes 54 British nationals, five dual nationals and 13 foreign nationals with close links to the United Kingdom. The police are checking meticulously all reports of missing people and the final number of victims could still change.
	It would be an unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the families of the victims to list the names here. We must respect the wish of the families for privacy in their time of grief.

Tanzania

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the (a) number and (b) impact of refugees from Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the situation in Tanzania.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of October, the number of refugees in camps in Tanzania under the aegis of UNHCR totalled 481,000. Of these 346,000 were from Burundi; 110,000 from the Democratic Republic of Congo; and 25,000 from Rwanda. A further 170,000 Burundian refugees are assimilated into the local community and living in villages in Tanzania.
	The main impact on Tanzania of these refugees has been instability and increased criminality in border areas (where most of the camps are located), increased pressure on Tanzania's infrastructure and resources, and environmental degradation (especially deforestation).

Sudan

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to encourage the Government of Sudan to promote human rights for all its citizens.

Ben Bradshaw: We remain concerned about the human rights of all in Sudan and we regularly urge all sides in the civil war to respect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. The promotion of human rights remains one of our priorities in Sudan and our Embassy in Khartoum is in constant touch with the Government of Sudan. We make representations about our human rights concerns both bilaterally and with our EU colleagues through the renewed EU/Sudan dialogue. The dialogue provides a forum for strong criticism of the Sudanese Government, and allows for a co-ordinated EU assessment of the human rights situation. We also work with our EU colleagues in the UN fora to keep our concerns on the international agenda. For example, the EU sponsored a resolution on Sudan at this year's UN Commission on Human Rights.

Entry Clearance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the case of Mrs. Nawani, Bombay, case reference AP/01/05/158.

Ben Bradshaw: I understand that the Joint Entry Clearance Unit wrote to my hon. Friend on 9 November.

British Dependent Territories

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 744W, if he will list the British Dependent Territories whose citizens (a) already enjoy the grant of British citizenship, (b) qualify to enjoy the grant of British citizenship and also enjoy the rights to reside and work in the United Kingdom and (c) do not qualify for the grant of British citizenship; and what the population of each of the British Dependent Overseas Territories is.

Ben Bradshaw: British Dependent Territories citizens (BDTCs) of the Falkland Islands (pop. 2,200) have already been granted British citizenship, and those of Gibraltar (pop. 27,200) have the right to apply for British citizenship. The British Overseas Territories Bill will not affect the position of Falkland Islanders. It will make automatic the grant of British citizenship to BDTCs from Gibraltar.
	The Bill will confer British citizenship on all other BDTCs except those who owe their status solely to their connection with the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus. Apart from the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, the qualifying Territories are Anguilla (pop. 11,900), Bermuda (pop. 61,500) British Antarctic Territory (no permanent population), British Indian Ocean Territory (no permanent population), British Virgin Islands (pop. 19,100), Cayman Islands (pop. 36,600), Montserrat (pop. 4,500), Pitcairn Islands (pop. 54), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (no permanent population), St. Helena and Dependencies (pop. 6,400), Turks and Caicos Islands (pop. 20,000). All those who become British citizens under the provisions of the Bill will enjoy the rights of abode and employment in the United Kingdom which flow from British citizenship.
	All population figures taken from the 1999 White Paper "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity".

Trade Liberalisation

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work has been undertaken by Government officials with the LOTIS Committee and the LOTIS Group on NGO objections to the liberalisation of trade in services.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The LOTIS Committee of International Financial Services, London, an independent private sector body, earlier this year produced a public response to NGO concerns about liberalisation of trade in services and the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services. Government officials, in their capacity as invited observers, offered the Committee comments, as they have to other NGOs on their work on this and other issues.

PRIME MINISTER

Performance and Innovation Unit

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Prime Minister what additional projects are planned for the Performance and Innovation Unit; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The Performance and Innovation Unit will be working with DEFRA and other Departments to review the Government's strategy for waste. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be the Sponsor Minister. The study will commence in December this year and report in the summer of 2002.

Public Appointments

Tim Collins: To ask the Prime Minister how many appointments to public bodies he has made (a) between 1 May 1997 and 7 June 2001 and (b) since 7 June 2001; and how many are in his gift.

Tony Blair: Information about numbers of ministerial appointments to public bodies is included in the Cabinet Office's annual report, "Public Bodies". Copies of this are in the Library of the House and the report is published on the Cabinet Office's internet website. The next edition of "Public Bodies" which will include numbers of appointments at 31 March 2001, will be published around the end of the year.
	Between 1 May 1997 and 7 June 2001 I made 249 appointments, including re-appointments, to public bodies. Since 7 June 2001 I have made 12 appointments, including re-appointments, to public bodies.
	There are approximately 315 appointments within the Prime Minister's gift to public bodies.

Chemical Weapons

Joan Walley: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has made to (a) India, (b) Russia, (c) South Korea and (d) the USA on reducing their declared stockpiles of chemical weapons.

Tony Blair: The Chemical Weapons Convention requires states which have declared possession of chemical weapons to submit plans on ratification for the total destruction of their stockpiles, by 29 April 2007, in accordance with Article 3 of the convention. These plans are subject to review and approval by the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), of which the UK is a member. The UK takes every opportunity, both through the OPCW Executive Council and on a bilateral basis, to maintain pressure on the declared possessors to meet their CW destruction obligations.

Lord Birt and Lord Levy

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he intends to take to improve the public accountability of (a) Lord Birt and (b) Lord Levy; if he will take steps to enable them to answer parliamentary questions in relation to their duties; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: For details of Lord Birt's role, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Peter Bottomley) on 25 October 2001, Official Report, columns 313–14W. For details of Lord Levy's role, I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Ms Coffey) on 9 July 2001, Official Report, column 350W. Both advisers are accountable to Ministers who are accountable to Parliament. I have no plans to change this practice.

Delivery Unit

Annette Brooke: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the targets selected from current departmental public service agreements which are being monitored by the Delivery Unit in (a) health, (b) education, (c) transport and (d) law and order, stating in each case (i) relevant performance measures and (ii) the date by which the target is to be met.

Tony Blair: The Delivery Unit works closely with HMT to help Departments deliver PSAs on crime, health, education and transport which are already in the public domain.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

British-Irish Council

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many meetings of the British-Irish Council there have been since December 1999, broken down by meeting format; and what subjects were discussed at each meeting.

John Prescott: British-Irish Council meetings have taken placed on the following occasions:
	17 December 1999, British-Irish Council Summit, London
	2 October 2000, British-Irish Council ministerial meeting on the environment, London
	6 October 2000, officials meeting on drugs, Dublin
	16 November 2000, officials meeting on social inclusion, London
	16 November 2000, officials meeting on the knowledge economy
	4 December 2000, officials meeting on transport, Belfast
	19 December 2000, British-Irish Council ministerial meeting on transport, Belfast
	23 January 2001, officials meeting on the environment (climate change), London
	28–29 March 2001, officials meeting on the environment (climate change), Oxford
	29 March 2001, officials meeting on the knowledge economy, Jersey
	13 September, officials meeting on drugs, Dublin. Ministerial meetings
	The inaugural summit adopted an initial list of issues which would be suitable for the council to work together. These were provided on 12 January 2000, Official Report, columns 200–01W.
	The meeting of Environment Ministers on 2 October 2000 discussed ways in which the administrations could work together on environmental issues. The council considered the conclusions of the OSPAR Regional Quality Status Report on the Celtic Seas and reviewed the arrangements already in place for inter-governmental action to follow up those conclusions.
	The meeting of Transport Ministers on 19 December 2000 had a wide-ranging discussion covering various aspects of transport. The council identified a list of transport issues where members of the council could share their knowledge and experience, including public-private partnerships, the size and pattern of future transport demand, the development of sustainable transport policies, and programmes to improve road and rail safety. The on-going review of the implementation of the Transport Trans European Network was also identified as an area where they could work together. They also considered practical measures which could be taken to increase co-operation in relation to the road transport industry.
	Officials' meetings
	The officials' meetings dealt with the substantive business in relevant sectoral areas for forthcoming ministerial meetings including drafting papers and pursuing individual work topics. In addition senior officials form all of the Administrations have met from time to time to discuss British-Irish Council progress and procedures.

Special Advisers and Press Officers

Alex Salmond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full-time, (ii) part-time and (iii) on a contract basis by his Department in each year since 1992.

Christopher Leslie: The information is not held in the form requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	All special advisers are appointed under the terms of the model contract for special advisers. At 1 November 2001, there were 81 special advisers in post across all Departments. Figures for the years since 1995–96 are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1995–96 38 
			 1996–97 38 
			 1997–98 70 
			 1998–99 74 
			 1999–2000 78 
			 2000–01 79 
		
	
	Information about the number of press officers working in the Cabinet Office Press Office for the period from 1996–97 to 1998–99 is contained in Appendix 10 of the Report on the Government Information and Communication Service by the Public Administration Select Committee dated 29 July 1998. Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of the House. On 1 January 2000, there were 20 press officers in the Cabinet Office Press Office; at 1 January 2001, there were 16, and there are currently 18.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Children and Young People Strategy

David Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish the consultation document on the Government's new strategy for children and young people.

John Denham: When the Prime Minister set up the Children and Young People's Unit last year he asked it to develop and articulate a new overarching strategy for all children and young people.
	Today, the Government are launching "Building a Strategy for Children and Young People: A consultation document" which sets out the Government's plans for a new vision and principles for the development of services for all children and young people, on which future Government investments will be based.
	Full copies of the consultation pack are available in the Library.

Investors in People (Buckingham)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which companies located in the Buckingham constituency received Investors in People awards in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01.

John Healey: The information requested is not collected on a constituency basis.
	Companies recognised as Investors in People in the town of Buckingham are as follows.
	
		
			 Year Company 
		
		
			 1997–98 Royal Latin School 
			  Hempton Fields, Nursing Home 
			   
			 1998–99 Fraser Associates plc 
			  Buckingham Middle School 
			  Buckingham School (London Road) 
			   
			 1999–2000 Assembly Technology and Test Ltd. 
			  Royal Latin School 
			  Hempton Fields, Nursing Home 
			   
			 2000–01 Page Hall Infants School

Class Sizes

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on average class sizes in secondary schools in Buckinghamshire local education authority in (a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Average class sizes(22): maintained secondary schools
		
			   Average class size  
			 January each year Buckinghamshire LEA England 
		
		
			 1998 21.0 21.7 
			 1999 21.6 21.9 
			 2000 22.2 22.0 
			 2001 21.6 22.0 
		
	
	(22) Classes taught by one teacher.
	The average size of a secondary class in Buckinghamshire is below the national average and improved in January 2001 after rising for the last two years.

Statemented Pupils

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expenditure on statemented pupils in the last five years was in (a) Durham and (b) England excluding pupils in special schools.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Specialist Schools

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish the guidance for schools advising them how to apply for specialist school status in maths and computing; and what the core aims at such specialist schools will be.

Stephen Timms: Guidance setting out the criteria for specialist school applications in mathematics and computing has been published and is available to interested schools on request or by accessing the DfES website at http://www.dfee.gov.uk/specschl/. As for other specialist schools, the aims of Mathematics and Computing Colleges are to: raise standards of achievement, particularly in the specialist subjects, for all pupils; extend the range of opportunities available to students which best meet their needs and interests; raise standards of teaching and learning in the specialist subjects; develop within the schools characteristics which signal their changed ethos; benefit other schools and the wider community and strengthen the links between schools and private or charitable sector sponsors.

Specialist Schools

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) name, (b) character, (c) date of designation, (d) agreed targets for each year within the period of designation and (e) unmet targets to date are of each designated specialist school or college in (i) West Berkshire, (ii) Hounslow, (iii) Oxfordshire, (iv) Wandsworth, (v) Hillingdon, (vi) Cornwall, (vii) Camden, (viii) Milton Keynes, (ix) Wokingham, (x) Hackney, (xi) Dorset and (xii) Bournemouth.

Stephen Timms: The information on the names of specialist schools, their character and the year in which they were designated as specialist schools in each of the named authorities is given in the following table. Information on the targets agreed with each school and targets which have not been met cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.
	
		Specialist schools in specified local education authorities as at 20 November 2001
		
			 LEA/name Specialism Character Designated September 
		
		
			  (i) West Berkshire 
			 Denefield School Technology Foundation 1994 
			 Kennet School Technology Community 2000 
			 Park House School Sports Community 1998 
			 Theale Green Community School Arts Community 1997 
			 Trinity School Arts Community 2001 
			 Willink School (The) Language Community 1996 
			 
			  (ii) Hounslow, London borough of 
			 Cranford Community High School Language Community 1997 
			 St. Mark's Catholic School Technology Voluntary Aided 1998 
			   
			  (iii) Oxfordshire 
			 Bicester Community College Technology Community 1998 
			 Didcot Girls' High School Language Community 1997 
			 Henry Box School (The) Language Community 2001 
			 King Alfred's School Sports Community 1999 
			 Lord Williams's School Sports Voluntary Controlled 2001 
			 Peers School Technology Community 1995 
			 St. Birinus School Technology Community 1997 
			 Wheatley Park School Arts Community 2000 
			 
			  (iv) Wandsworth 
			 Chestnut Grove School Arts Community 1997 
			 Elliott School Language Foundation 1997 
			 Ernest Bevin School Sports Community 2000 
			 Graveney School Technology Foundation 1995 
			 Southfields Community College Sports Foundation 2000 
			 
			  (v) Hillingdon 
			 Bishopshalt School Arts Foundation 1998 
			 Haydon School Language Foundation 1997 
			 Queensmead School Technology Foundation 1999 
			 
			  (vi) Cornwall 
			 Callington School Sports Community 2000 
			 Fowey Community School Technology Community 1996 
			 Hayle Community School Language Community 2001 
			 Helston School and Community College Technology Community 2001 
			 Launceston College Technology Community 1998 
			 Newquay Tretherras School Technology Community 1997 
			 Penrice Community School Language Community 1997 
			 Penryn College Sports Community 1998 
			 Poltair Community School Sports Community 1997 
			 Redruth Comprehensive School Technology Community 1996 
			 Richard Lander School Technology Community 1998 
			 St. Ives School Technology Community 2001 
			 
			  (vii) Camden, London borough of 
			 Acland Burghley School Arts Community 2000 
			 Hampstead School Technology Community 1997 
			 Parliament Hill School Technology Community 1999 
			 William Ellis School Language Voluntary Aided 1997 
			 (viii) Milton Keynes 
			 Denbigh School Technology Foundation 1997 
			 Leon School Sports Community 1998 
			 Lord Grey School Language Foundation 1998 
			 Stantonbury Campus North Arts Foundation 1998 
			 
			  (ix) Wokingham 
			 Holt School (The) Language Community 1999 
			 Piggott School (The) Language Voluntary Controlled 2001 
			 
			  (x) Hackney, London borough of 
			 Clapton Girls' Technology College Technology Community 1999 
			 Haggerston School Technology Community 1998 
			 Homerton College of Technology Technology Community 1997 
			 Our Lady's Convent High School Language Voluntary Aided 1999 
			 Stoke Newington School Arts Community 2001 
			 
			  (xi) Dorset 
			 Beaminster School Technology Community 2001 
			 Budmouth Technology College Technology Foundation 1995 
			 Highcliffe School Language Foundation 2000 
			 Lytchett Minister School Arts Community 2001 
			 Shaftesbury School Sports Voluntary Controlled 1999 
			 Sir John Colfox School Language Community 1999 
			 Twynham School Technology Community 1996 
			 Westfield School Technology Foundation Special 2000 
			   
			  (xii) Bournemouth 
			 Bournemouth School Language Foundation 2000 
			 Oakmead School Technology Community 2001 
			 St. Peter's School Arts Voluntary Aided 2000

Early Years Excellence

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, 
	(1)  pursuant to her answer of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 539W, what criteria were used in deciding which new early excellence centres should be designated;
	(2)  pursuant to her answer of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 539W, if she will consider the proposal from Somerford Infant School as part of the next batch of early excellence centres designated;
	(3)  pursuant to her answer of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 539W, if she will list those applicants who have been invited to develop their plans further;
	(4)  pursuant to her answer of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 539W, on early years excellence, on what grounds the proposal for a centre at Somerford Infant School was considered not yet ready to join the programme; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the Government's response to the proposal and details of its invitation to the school to develop its plans further;
	(5)  pursuant to her answer of 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 539W, on early years excellence, how many expressions of interest there were in joining the early excellence centres programme.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 20 November 2001
	Criteria and detailed requirements for joining the Early Excellence Centre (EEC) programme are set out in guidance issued by the Department. Guidance issued in February provided the framework for designations made so far this year. Additional guidance was issued on 5 October. The core activities of the programme which all centres are expected to deliver, or have well advanced and convincing plans to develop, remain unchanged and are as follows:
	good quality integrated early education and daycare for children 0 to five requiring centre-based extended-day and extended-year provision;
	parental and carer involvement in the education and care of children, eg schemes for family learning, developing parenting skills, raising parents' expectations and in other ways;
	support services for children and parents and carers of children, eg health, counselling and information services, home support, drop-in facilities;
	effective early identification and intervention for children in need and children with special educational needs, with a view to improving children's prospects and, wherever appropriate, achieving inclusion in mainstream provision;
	access to adult education and training by parents of young children and other adults, including those seeking skills and qualifications for employment;
	raising standards of integrated early years provision among other early years providers, including voluntary and private providers, childminders and other carers, by contributing to the training and development strategy of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and through the development and dissemination of good practice.
	Decisions on designations also take into account links with other Government programmes, geographical coverage, support of key partners, especially the local Early Years and Childcare Development Partnership (EYCDP), and commitment to multi-agency working.
	The Department received 135 expressions of interest following the issue of the February guidance and 14 new centres were announced on 1 October. Officials are continuing to work closely with a further nine centres in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wigan, Peterborough, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Bury, on the basis of expressions of interest received in response to the February guidance. A further 93 expressions of interest in joining the programme have been received since additional guidance was issued in October.
	Somerford Infant School's expression of interest in the EEC programme was submitted in response to the guidance issued in February. It was closely linked to emerging local proposals for the development of a Neighbourhood Nursery, but did not meet the requirements set out in the guidance for joint Neighbourhood Nursery/Early Excellence Centre schemes. Neither did it provide sufficient coverage of the core activities or relate them sufficiently well to the wider strategy of the EYCDP.
	The Department wrote to the school inviting it to develop its plans further. I have placed a copy of that letter in the Library. The additional guidance issued in October indicates that those invited to do further development work should submit a fresh expression of interest taking into account feedback received. The guidance included full contact details for relevant officials at the Department and encouraged partners to make contact with them for further information.
	The Department has not received a further expression of interest from Somerford Infant School. To continue to develop its interest in the programme the school should contact officials at the Department who will be most willing to discuss it with them.

Fast-Track Teacher Recruitment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which company was awarded the contract to run the Fast-Track Teacher Recruitment Scheme; what the cost and duration of the contract is; what the agreed recruitment targets for each year of the contract were; how the company was chosen; and what the criteria are for success and best value.

Stephen Timms: Following a competitive tender exercise the contract for assessing Fast-Track applicants was let to a consortium headed by Interactive Skills on 2 October 2000. The cost of the contract in Financial Year 2000–01 was £2,375,081. The contract covers a three-year period, with an option for a two-year extension. Selection is done against standards and not to quota. Main criteria for success are delivery to time and within budget of: (i) a high quality multi-stage selection process which will successfully identify those applicants who meet the competencies and values laid down in the Education (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions) (No.7) Order 2001; (ii) relevant application brochures, website, forms and guidance to a high professional standard; (iii) a cycle of continuous review and improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of the activities of the consortium.

Fast-Track Teacher Recruitment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost was for each existing fast-track student of recruiting them to the Fast-Track Teacher Recruitment scheme; and what the total cost was for students recruited through the programme.

Stephen Timms: The Department for Education and Skills spent £4.6 million on the Fast-Track Programme in the last financial year 2000–01, the first year of its existence. This long-term investment supported (i) a national recruitment campaign which raised public awareness of the programme, established a credible presence at the upper end of the highly competitive graduate recruitment market, and attracted 1,574 applications; (ii) the design, development and implementation of a very high quality assessment and selection process which resulted in the offer of 135 places in the first round to potential future leaders of the profession; and (iii) the initial cost of setting-up enhanced Fast-Track Initial Teacher Training.

Online Centres

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many UK online centres in each constituency are to be funded by level 3 Capital Modernisation Fund;
	(2)  when she will provide an answer to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Cambridge on 24 October about the number of UK online centres in each constituency.

John Healey: A table showing the UK online centres to be funded by the third phase of the Capital Modernisation Fund by constituency has been placed in the Library.
	The total of UK online centres funded by the third phase will produce a further 1,116 centres across England, covering 63 per cent. of constituencies throughout England.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Attendance Allowance

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has held with the Scottish Executive concerning continued payment of attendance allowance to those recipients who will become eligible for free personal care in Scotland from April 2002.

Maria Eagle: My right hon. Friend discussed this matter with the Scottish First Minister on a number of occasions.

ONE Pilot Scheme

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of cases of violence against staff working in the ONE pilot offices.

Nick Brown: From June 1999 to date, there were five cases of physical assault on members of our staff.

Child Support Agency

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments by absent parents have been written off as irrecoverable in the last 12 months; what the average and upper decile value of such payments are; and how many payments are in the upper decile.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 20 November 2001
	I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the Child Support Agency.
	Mr. Smith is unavailable and therefore I am writing to you on his behalf.
	You asked how many payments by Non resident parents have been written off as irrecoverable by the Child Support Agency in the last 12 months.
	The Child Support Agency does not write off child support maintenance debt. Section 30 of the Child Support Act 1991 allows the Secretary of State to decide when and how to collect and enforce maintenance but it does not allow him to dissolve that debt.
	I hope this is helpful.

Pension Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which organisations have responded to the consultation documents on (a) the pension credit and (b) invalid care allowance.

Ian McCartney: Over 400 responses were received to the Pension Credit formal consultation exercise "The Pension Credit: a consultation paper", Cm4900, November 2000, many welcoming our proposals. We continue to consider views and work closely with groups representing older people to deliver a modernised and dedicated service to meet pensioner needs. We will be announcing our response to the Pension Credit consultation in due course.
	40 responses were received to the formal consultation exercise on Invalid Care Allowance which took place between 23 July and 15 October. The majority welcomed our proposals. A summary of the responses will be published on our website and the cabinet office website at the same time as the proposals are introduced into Parliament for Scrutiny.

Pensions (British Citizens Overseas)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many British citizens living abroad are in receipt of the British state retirement pension.

Ian McCartney: There are about 866,300 pensioners living abroad in receipt of a UK state retirement pension.
	Notes:
	1. 5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System at 31 March 2001
	2. Figures have been rounded to nearest hundred.
	3. Figure is not confined to British nationals. UK retirement pension is paid to those who satisfy the relevant conditions

Departmental Funding

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total unallocated funds within his departmental expenditure limit (a) in the start of the financial year and (b) to date.

Nick Brown: At the start of the financial year the Department for Work and Pensions Departmental Expenditure Limit included £322 million awaiting allocation from the Welfare Modernisation Fund and a Departmental Unallocated Provision of £56.088 million. To date there has been no change to these unallocated amounts.

SCOTLAND

Proceeds of Crime Bill

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on putting before the Scottish Parliament the changes proposed in the confiscation provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Bill in so far as they relate to Scotland.

George Foulkes: None. This is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Proceeds of Crime Bill

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on proposed changes to the Proceeds of Crime Bill.

George Foulkes: I have liaised with the Deputy First Minister and the Lord Advocate on the Scottish provisions in the Bill, including the changes being considered for Part III.

Proceeds of Crime Bill

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps have been taken by her Department to ascertain the views of the Scottish Parliament on the changes proposed to the confiscation provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Bill in so far as they relate to Scotland.

George Foulkes: We have liaised closely with the Scottish Executive Ministers and officials, but liaison with the Scottish Parliament is clearly a matter for the Scottish Executive to consider.

HOME DEPARTMENT

GHB

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reclassify gamma hydroxy butyrate as a drug; and what recent representations he has received on this issue.

Bob Ainsworth: Following the decision of the United Nations to control gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) under Schedule IV of the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) met on 8 November to consider the drug's classification under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. I await their advice.
	I have received a number of letters from members of the public, and some from hon. Members, expressing concern about the misuse of GHB.

Sex Offences

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his timetable is for the implementation of the recommendations of his Department's consultation paper entitled, "Setting the boundaries: Reforming the law on sex offences".

Keith Bradley: The recommendations of the Sex Offences Review to Government on reforming the law on sex offences were published in "Setting the Boundaries" in July 2000. We are currently considering the recommendations in the light of the over 700 responses to that consultation document. We will announce our conclusions and proposals for legislation once we have completed our consideration.

Passports (Confiscation)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 November 2001, Official Report, column 315W, on passports, whether clear evidence of a proposed intention to go to Afghanistan to fight for the Taliban or al-Qaeda is sufficient to demonstrate the undesirability of the grant or continued enjoyment of passport facilities on grounds of public interest; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: As indicated in my answer of 7 November, a passport may be withdrawn from a person whose past or proposed activities are so demonstrably undesirable that the grant or continued enjoyment of passport facilities would be contrary to the public interest. On the face of it, a clearly stated intention to fight directly against British interests would justify withdrawal of passport facilities on public interest grounds. Any case would be carefully considered on its individual merits.

Gulf War (Detentions)

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Iraqis and (b) other persons of middle eastern origin were detained during the Gulf war as potential threats to national security; and how many were subsequently (i) deported, (ii) charged with any offence, (iii) released without charge and (iv) compensated.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 13 November 2001
	Sixty-eight Iraqis and nine Palestinians were detained as threats to national security during the Gulf war. No Iraqis or "people of middle-eastern origin" were deported, although a number of Iraqis left of their own accord on receipt of the Home Secretary's notice of intention to deport. None was charged with an offence. All were released without charge following the conclusion of the war.

Riot Policing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on establishing closer co-operation across the European Union in the field of riot policing.

Bob Ainsworth: During the Belgian Presidency, officials of European Union member states (EU), including the European Police Chiefs Task Force, have held meetings to take forward the Conclusions of the Special Justice and Home Affairs Council on 13 July. This Council had considered security at European Summits and other major European Union events, following the disorder at the Gothenburg European Summit.
	Discussions centred around building on existing police and judicial co-operation in this area, through the establishment of national contact points, to ensure enhanced exchange of information and effective co-operation before major events at which public order problems are anticipated.

Asylum Seekers

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are being followed in respect of awarding the contract for smart cards for asylum seekers.

Angela Eagle: There is no new contract for the Application Registration Card application. This will be an expansion of the existing Immigration and Asylum Fingerprint System as allowed under the original terms of the associated Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC) Notice of 30 November 1999. Compatibility with this system is essential, as existing equipment will be used to check the cards. Procurement will be effected by way of a Change Control Notice to the existing contract.

Asylum Seekers

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the value of the contract for providing smart cards for asylum seekers.

Angela Eagle: The price for changing the existing Immigration and Asylum Fingerprint System contract has yet to be fixed. Budgetary estimates do exist but these could not be published without compromising our negotiating position with suppliers.
	It is not normal practice to place budgetary estimates in the public domain.

Asylum Seekers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1 May 1997.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The available information relates to the nationality of persons removed. Published statistics show that 60 nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo who had sought asylum at some stage were removed from the United Kingdom in 1997 and 20 in 1998. A breakdown of the nationality of persons removed in 1999 to 2001 is not available due to data recording problems; these problems are being investigated and it is hoped that nationality information will be available at some stage in the future.

Asylum Seekers

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum were waiting to be heard on 1 February 2000.

Angela Eagle: There were 121,700 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision on 31 January 2000. This figure has been revised from 103,495 after a manual count of all asylum cases, and is rounded to the nearest hundred. A physical count was ordered by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to ensure the reliability of the statistics. Problems with the backlog figures had arisen from an accumulation of errors since the last manual count of outstanding asylum applications in 1996. The comparable figure for 31 August 2001 was 43,100.
	Information on the number of cases awaiting an initial decision is published regularly on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigration1.htm.

Heroin

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places are available in (a) residential and (b) other centres for the treatment of heroin addiction.

Bob Ainsworth: There are approximately 3,100 residential places available across England for those requiring treatment for substance misuse problems. Although the majority of these places will be taken up by opiate users, they are also for those addicted to other drugs. It is therefore not possible to estimate how many of these places are taken up by heroin addicts.
	As far as non-residential centres are concerned there are approximately 450 drug services across the country. As these centres respond to different levels of demand at different times it is not possible to put a figure on the number of places they provide.

Heroin

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many addicts are receiving methadone replacement treatment for heroin addiction.

Bob Ainsworth: Since the Home Office Addicts Index closed in 1997, the Regional Drug Misuse Databases (RDMDs) have been the main source of information on people presenting to drug treatment services with a drug problem. During the six month period ending 30 September 2000, around 21,200 people were reported to the RDMDs in England as presenting for treatment with heroin recorded as their main drug of misuse. Around 6,200 of these people were reported as being prescribed methadone for treatment at the time they presented; other heroin users may subsequently have been prescribed methadone.

Heroin

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of heroin users in the UK.

Bob Ainsworth: Drug misuse databases (DMDs) are the main source of information on the number of heroin users. These databases report on the number of persons presenting to drug treatment services. Data are not available for the whole of the United Kingdom, but separate figures for Great Britain and Northern Ireland are provided here. In addition, the British Crime Survey (BCS) 2000 calculated a population estimate for 16 to 24-year-old heroin users in England and Wales. There has also been a recent research report published by academics that estimates the number of problematic opiate users in the United Kingdom.
	The table provides a summary of estimates from different parts of the United Kingdom by various methods.
	
		Figures on the number of heroin users by area and data source
		
			 Area Year Data source Estimate 
		
		
			 Great Britain 2000 DMD(23) 25,000 new episodes of treatment in 6 months 
			 Northern Ireland 2000–01 DMD(24) 47 users reporting to agencies in 12 months 
			 Northern Ireland 2000 Addicts Index(25) 233 users registered 
			 England and Wales 2000 BCS(26) 46,000 users in the past year and 18,000 in the last month (by 16-to 24-year-olds) 
			 United Kingdom 1996 Research report(27) 162, 544 to 243, 820 problematic users 
		
	
	(23) Statistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases for six months ending September 2000. National Statistics/Department of Health Statistical Bulletin 2001 18 June.
	(24) Northern Ireland Drug Misuse Database. Progress Report and Initial Findings 2000–01. Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit, September 2001.
	(25) Northern Ireland Drug Addicts' Statistical Information Bulletin, 31 December 2000.
	(26) Drug misuse declared in 2000: results from the British Crime Survey. Home Office Research Study 224.
	(27) Frishcer M, Hickman M, Kraus L, Mariani F and Wiessing L (2001) A comparison of different methods for estimating the prevalence of problematic drug misuse in Great Britain. Addiction, 96, 1465–1476.

Overseas Adoption

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries from which young children up to the age of five years were allowed entry into the United Kingdom for legal adoption by citizens of the United Kingdom in the last three years.

Angela Eagle: Information on the number of children admitted to the United Kingdom from overseas countries for adoption is not currently available.
	The information that is available covers the number of children up to the age of five years given indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom on the basis of adoption. This number excludes those children given limited leave to remain and who are subsequently adopted through the United Kingdom courts, becoming British citizens on the date that the final adoption order is made.
	A total of around 20 adopted children up to the age of five were given indefinite leave to remain in 2000. The corresponding totals for 1999 and 1998 were 10 and 20 respectively. The nationalities of the children were:
	Brazil
	Chile
	China
	Guatemala
	Hong Kong
	India
	Jamaica
	Kenya
	Lebanon
	Nigeria
	Pakistan
	St. Lucia
	South Africa
	Trinidad and Tobago
	Ukraine
	United States of America
	Vietnam
	Zimbabwe.
	There were fewer than 10 cases for each nationality.

Correspondence

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 25 September from the hon. Member for Putney with regard to his constituent Mrs. Kulsoom Begum Gill (Refs. G339000 and B523773).

Angela Eagle: holding answer 19 November 2001
	I wrote to my hon. Friend on 21 November 2001. I am sorry I did not send an earlier reply.

Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to secure a substantive reply from the National Asylum Support Service reference IMG/01247/1385/587 in relation to the letters of 18 October and 8 November from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central regarding his constituent Mrs. H. A. F.

Angela Eagle: An official from the National Asylum Support Service responded to my hon. Friend on 16 November.

Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress with work on the perimeter fencing at Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution.

Beverley Hughes: The latest position is that the work is scheduled to begin in March 2002, and will take approximately one year to complete. In the meantime, young prisoners requiring the highest level of physical security are not being held at Aylesbury.

Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the healthcare centre at Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution.

Beverley Hughes: The health care centre is under used because of the success of the strategy for treating prisoners on the wings. The Governor is examining a range of options for converting part of the health care centre for other accommodation or activity uses.

Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his response to the annual report for 2000–01 of the board of visitors of Aylesbury Young Offenders Institution.

Beverley Hughes: I replied to the Chair of the Board on 13 November 2001 and I am placing a copy of my reply in the Library.

Sentencing Review

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the results of the public consultation on the review of sentencing.

Keith Bradley: "Making Punishments Work", the report of a review of the sentencing framework undertaken by John Halliday—and known as the Halliday report—was published on 5 July and responses were invited by 31 October. The report was sent to a large number of individuals and organisations and a series of meetings were held with members of the public and representatives of the judiciary and other bodies to encourage consideration of the report and obtain views.
	In order to encourage wider public involvement in the debate, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, launched the Fairer Sentencing website which contained a quiz, a facility to e-mail views and an on-line debating provision. In addition debate was stimulated in local, regional and national media and hon. Members were encouraged to initiate discussion in their constituencies. A number of conferences have also been convened.
	The level of interest and response has been considerable. Over 120 detailed responses have been received from individuals or organisations with connections to the criminal justice system and even more from members of the public by letter or e-mail or through the debating channel. In addition, the website received 33,482 page hits, the home page was visited 5,831 times, 2,839 copies of the layman's summary of the Halliday review were downloaded, 1,171 copies of the Home Secretary's speech on sentencing reform were downloaded and 1,226 people completed the quiz on the website. This has been a unique opportunity to hold a public consultation on the point of sentencing and many members of the public have offered their own suggestions and alternatives.
	There has been almost unanimous support for the need for change to the present sentencing framework, accompanied by a strong message that the change should be done well, properly resourced and then allowed to stand the test of time. There has also been broad support for the general thrust of the proposals, in particular the need for radical changes in the approach to short prison sentences. There is widespread recognition that it is unacceptable to have no supervision for an individual leaving a short prison sentence and that there are many opportunities for improving the effectiveness of both a prison sentence and a community sentence.
	There has also been considerable support for greater transparency in sentencing.
	There has been mixed support for the greater involvement of the courts in the management of sentences through review hearings. Many commentators have seen the strength of the arguments in terms of principle but have expressed doubts about whether the enormous practical difficulties could be overcome sufficiently well to justify that intervention in every case.
	Officials are now analysing the responses in greater detail and a summary of the responses will be published, with copies in the Library, towards the end of January 2002. I then anticipate publishing a White Paper in spring 2002.

Fireworks

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many reported incidents of injuries to (a) domestic pets and (b) other animals due to the sale of fireworks have been reported (i) prior to 5 November, (ii) on 5 November and (iii) after 5 November in each of the last five years in (A) Scotland and (B) the United Kingdom;
	(2)  how many reported incidents of damage to property with fireworks in each of the last five years have involved (a) minors and (b) adults as alleged perpetrators of the incidents in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK;
	(3)  how many incidents of damage to property with fireworks in the last five years have occurred (a) prior to 5 November, (b) on 5 November and (c) after 5 November in each year in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK;
	(4)  how many incidents of injuries to (a) domestic pets and (b) other animals have been reported due to the sale of fireworks in each of the last five years in (i) Scotland and (ii) the United Kingdom.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answers 8 November 2001
	I have been asked to reply 
	because of my Department's responsibility for consumer and product safety which includes fireworks.
	I regret that the information requested is not held by my Department.

Royal Parks Constabulary

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civilian and uniformed staff of the Royal Parks constabulary have left employment in police service on grounds of ill health or disability in the last five years.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency and I have asked its Chief Executive, William Weston, to reply.
	Letter from William Weston to Mr. Peter Bottomley, dated 21 November 2001
	I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of RPC officers who have left on health grounds, because this is an operational matter which is the responsibility of the Royal Parks Agency.
	Fifteen civilian and uniformed staff of the Royal Parks Constabulary have left employment in police service on the grounds of ill health or disability in the last five years.

TREASURY

VAT

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for the financial years (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02 to the most recent date for which information is available to him (i) the number of VAT returns received by HM Customs and Excise, (ii) the number of trader visits made by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and (iii) the additional net tax found on visits.

Paul Boateng: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(28) 
		
		
			 Number of VAT Returns 7,330,747 7,344,453 3,566,462 
			 Number of visits made 170,718 166,305 82,653 
			 Additional tax found (£ billion) 1.9 2.3 1.0 
		
	
	(28) September 2001

Regulation

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations were introduced by his Department in each year since May 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Regulatory Impact Assessments (Compliance Cost Assessments for measures introduced before August 1998) have been completed in respect of all measures which have significantly imposed or reduced costs on businesses, charities or voluntary bodies. These are available from the House Libraries.

Stamp Duty

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in introducing zero rates of stamp duty in deprived areas.

Paul Boateng: The Government have been considering how best to implement this exemption and an announcement will be made shortly.

Stamp Duty

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reform stamp duty on shares.

Ruth Kelly: The Government keep the whole tax system under regular review in order to meet their objectives for a fair and efficient tax system.

Stamp Duty

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of stamp duty on shares on financial exclusion.

Ruth Kelly: There is no evidence that stamp duty on shares has any impact on financial exclusion.

Financial Services and Markets Act

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact on the status of friendly societies of the coming into force of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Ruth Kelly: The constitutional status of friendly societies as member-owned mutual societies will be unchanged by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). That Act will harmonise the regulation of friendly societies and other insurance business under a single regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

EU Moneys (Scotland)

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each year since 1979 in (a) cash terms, (b) real terms and (c) as a percentage of the UK total, the total value of EU moneys spent in Scotland.

Andrew Smith: Details of all EC receipts which have been paid in Scotland are not held centrally for this period. However, table 14d of the Departmental Report of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments (Cm 5116) contains information on receipts from the EC budget, by Department, and fund, since 1995–96 including for the Scottish Office (now Scottish Executive) (the UK's EAGGF Guarantee receipts are shown in the table under the Intervention Board). Similar information for earlier years was published in previous reports.

Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what involvement his Department has had with the renegotiation of the Ministry of Defence contract with EDS for the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The Ministry of Defence was responsible for the reconstruction of the Armed Forces Personnel and Administration Agency (AFPAA) contract with EDS and HM Treasury was not involved. The Ministry of Defence required my approval as Chief Secretary to the Treasury to proceed with reconstructing the contract. This approval was given following discussions between the Ministry of Defence and the Office of Government Commerce, who are represented on the AFPAA Owner's Board.

Departmental Staff

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees of (a) his Department and (b) agencies sponsored by his Department work in (i) London, (ii) areas benefiting from EU objective 1 status, (iii) areas with objective 2 status and (iv) other areas.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 19 November 2001
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Department/Agency London Objective 1 Objective 2 Other 
		
		
			 HM Treasury 1,049 0 0 0 
			 Office for National Statistics 919 614 1,026 911 
			 Customs and Excise 5,984 2,837 1,941 12,694 
			 Inland Revenue 6,517 8,134 36,885 16,519 
			 Valuation Office Agency 766 194 1,197 2,000 
			 Royal Mint 10 1,007 0 0 
			 National Savings 101 0 15 0 
			 Government Actuary's Department 104 0 0 0 
			  
			 Total 15,450 12,786 41,064 32,124

Earnings Statistics

Julie Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the hourly earnings of women as a proportion of the earnings of men for graduates who graduated in the years (a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992, (d) 1993, (e) 1994 and (f) 1995 at the latest available date.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Julie Morgan, dated 21 November 2001
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the hourly earnings of graduates by year of graduation. I am replying in his absence (16136).
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of average gross hourly earnings for graduates of working age, ie men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59. However, the LFS does not ask people what year they graduated. Therefore, it does not provide estimates of graduates' earnings by year of graduation.

Railtrack

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average loss to private shareholders as a result of the administration of Railtrack.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The administrator will be seeking to obtain the best value he can for the assets in Railtrack plc. If there is a surplus value, net of liabilities, this will be made available to Railtrack Group plc and its shareholders.

International Tax Recoveries

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 25 October 2001, Official Report, column 374W, on international tax recoveries, if the two recoveries of over £100 million were from companies linked as sisters or subsidiaries; if they were over £200 million; and what the largest sum recovered was.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 20 November 2001
	The two cases involving recoveries in excess of £100 million in the year 2000 are unrelated. The amount recovered from each taxpayer exceeded £200 million. Because of the Inland Revenue's duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality it is not possible to disclose precisely how much was recovered from any single taxpayer.

Clergy (Working Families Tax Credit)

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of clergy claiming working families tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: The Working Families Tax Credit Quarterly Enquiry shows the number of recipient families in which the main earner has a professional occupation. It is not known how many of these main earners are clergy.

BCCI

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proposals have been made for the settlement of the BCCI action against the Bank of England;
	(2)  what the cost is of the litigation by the liquidators of BCCI against the Bank of England.

Andrew Smith: The Government are not a party to this litigation.

Special Purpose Vehicles

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many special purpose vehicles to facilitate public- private finance the Treasury has approved in the last 12 months.

Andrew Smith: The Treasury does not approve individual special purpose vehicles.
	The term special purpose vehicle is often used to describe the corporate body created when private sector companies join together to provide services under a specific public-private partnership. It will be the contractual counterparty to the public sector partner.
	Individual Departments will evaluate special purpose vehicles bidding for contracts against standards set for capability, technical capacity, and financial and economic standing. Departments may also have concerns about changes in the special purpose vehicle's shareholders during the life of the contract. Office of Government Commerce guidance on Standardisation of PFI contracts contains advice to Departments on this subject.

Friendly Societies

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if changes in the status of friendly societies arising from the coming into force of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 will affect the liability of friendly societies for particular taxes; and if he will estimate for each particular tax liability change the impact on revenues which will arise over the first year in which the changes are implemented.

Andrew Smith: There are no changes to the tax liabilities of friendly societies as a result of the coming into force of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Inland Revenue

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Public and Commercial Services Union on his Department's proposal to privatise the Inland Revenue's distraint work in England and Wales; for what reasons his Department has introduced the proposal; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have received a number of representations from members of the Public and Commercial Services Union, and will be taking into account their comments as further consideration is given to this proposal.

Inland Revenue

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the quality of public service which would result from the privatisation of the Inland Revenue's distraint work in England and Wales; what plans he has to introduce a regulatory framework for bailiffs working on behalf of the Inland Revenue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The implications of the proposed change are still under consideration.

HEALTH

Coronary Heart Disease

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of coronary heart disease among women and men, broken down by UK standard region, was (a) in the last 12 months and (b) (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 years ago.

Jacqui Smith: Figures for the incidence of coronary heart disease across the United Kingdom are not available on a consistent basis over 30 years.
	The table shows the number of finished consultant episodes for hospital in-patients in England (this is not the same as incidence data) where the main diagnosis was ischaemic heart disease. Hospital episode statistics (HES) data only go back as 1989–90. Prior to this, information is not available in the format requested. Until 1985, data were collected via the hospital in-patient inquiry, which is not directly comparable with HES data due to a number of changes in the methods of collection. Changes in the boundaries between regional health authorities which existed in 1989–90 and the regional offices which are in place now mean it is not possible to make direct comparisons by region over the 10 years.
	
		Finished consultant episodes where the main diagnosis was ischaemic heart disease, by Regional Office (Regional Health Authority) area of residence NHS Hospitals, England 1989–90 and 1999–2000
		
			  Male Female Not known/ not specified 
		
		
			 1999–2000
			 Northern & Yorkshire Region 32,951 20,455 8 
			 Trent Regional Office 26,693 16,420 2 
			 West Midlands Regional Office 24,125 12,855 8 
			 North West Regional Office 35,639 22,098 2 
			 Eastern Regional Office 25,423 12,492 8 
			 London Regional Office 28,432 14,039 28 
			 South East Regional Office 34,698 18,039 130 
			 South West Regional Office 23,815 12,690 5 
			 Other 3,238 1,309 1 
			 Not known 221 79 0 
			  
			 Total 235,235 130,494 192 
			   
			 1989–90
			 Northern RHA 10,348 6.647 0 
			 Yorkshire RHA 12,862 7,610 0 
			 Trent RHA 14,647 8,373 0 
			 East Anglian RHA 5,711 2,538 0 
			 North West Thames RHA 11,069 5,090 2 
			 North East Thames RHA 13,236 6,926 11 
			 South East Thames RHA 11,723 5,681 0 
			 South West Thames RHA 7,703 3,976 0 
			 Wessex RHA 6,950 3,733 2 
			 Oxford RHA 6,292 2,988 9 
			 South Western RHA 8,959 4,658 0 
			 West Midlands RHA 14,612 7,593 0 
			 Mersey RHA 8,235 5,324 1 
			 North Western RHA 14,468 9,529 1 
			 Other 5,496 2,510 4 
			 Not known 3,431 1,812 0 
			  
			 Total 155,742 84,988 30 
		
	
	Note:
	1. An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.
	2. The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3. Regional Health Authority/Regional office boundaries have changed since 1989–90, but the HES database system does not have the facility to present earlier years in terms of 1999–2000 RO boundaries.
	4. Data for 1989–90 are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data, 1999–2000 figures are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

Fire-safe Cigarettes

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of fire-safe cigarettes.

Jacqui Smith: Officials have had discussions with representatives of the main manufacturers in the United Kingdom on the possible effects of certain additives on the burning rates of cigarettes.
	One manufacturer is engaged on the development of a cigarette paper modified to control the burn rate.
	Officials are aware of the development of standards governing ignition propensity and at least one branch conforming to these standards has been introduced in the United States.

Fluoride

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether proposals to raise the level of fluoride in drinking water involve the use of hexafluorosilic acid.

Jacqui Smith: Hexaflurosilicic acid (also called hydrofluorosilicic acid) is approved for use in artificial fluoridation schemes under the Water Industry Act 1991 and is subject to compliance with a Code of Practice on the Technical Aspects of the Fluoridation of Water Supplies published by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	The code covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of fluoridation plant to ensure that the correct level of fluoride is added and there are fail-safe precautions against overdosing. The code includes a detailed specification for added chemicals with advice to water companies on how to check the purity of the chemicals against the specification.
	All substances used in the treatment of water supplies are approved by the Drinking Water Inspectorate, acting on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for DEFRA.

Social Workers (North-East)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to recruit additional (a) psychiatric and (b) approved social workers in the north-east.

Jacqui Smith: On 19 October 2001, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced a £1.5 million recruitment campaign, which is designed to increase the number of people interested in careers in social work and social care work. As well as this action to tackle recruitment problems, the Department is also working with the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Social Services to help employers implement policies to improve recruitment and retention of staff.

Children At Risk

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the reasons that children's names are removed from the at risk register; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: A child's name may be removed from the register if:
	It is judged that the child is no longer at continuing risk of significant harm requiring safeguarding by means of a child protection plan (for example, the risk of harm has been reduced by action taken through the child protection plan; the child and family's circumstances have changed; or re-assessment of the child and family indicates that a child protection plan is not necessary). Under these circumstances, only a child protection review conference can decide that registration is no longer necessary;
	The child and family have moved permanently to another local authority area. In such cases, the receiving local authority should convene a child protection conference within 15 days of being notified of the move, only after which event may de-registration take place in respect of the original local authority's child protection register;
	The child has reached 18 years of age, has died or has permanently left the United Kingdom.

Children At Risk

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reduction in the number of children added to the at risk register between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001.

Jacqui Smith: The number of additions and deletions to child protection registers during the years ending 31 March 2000 and 2001 are given in the table:
	
		Registrations to and de-registrations from child protection registers during the years ending 31 March 2000 and 2001, and children on registers at 31 March of each years -- EnglandNumbers
		
			  All children(29) Boys Girls 
		
		
			  On the register at 31 March 
			 2000 30,300 15,400 14,600 
			 2001 26,800 13,700 12,900 
			 
			 Registrations
			 2000 29,300 14,500 13,900 
			 2001 27,000 13,300 12,700 
			 
			 De-registrations
			 2000 30,500 15,300 15,100 
			 2001 30,200 15,400 14,700 
		
	
	(29) Includes unborn children
	The decrease in the number of registrations during 2000–01 (and the consequent fall in numbers on the registers at 31 March 2001) is largely due to the majority of local councils excluding temporary registrations from their figures (children who are on the register in one authority but located in another and are simultaneously on the register of both councils). The year ending 31 March 2001 was the first year in which the Department of Health has requested that only the council with the original responsibility for the child should include the child in its figures until the receiving council has held a child protection conference to determine whether the child should instead be registered by that council. There has been some element of double counting of these children in previous years.

Bed Blocking

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes have been made to the calculation of bed blocking since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: A blocked bed occurs when a patient is ready for transfer from an acute hospital bed but is still occupying that bed. That definition has not altered since 1997. Until recently, published statistics have been based on the number of beds occupied by people aged 75 years or more. Current and future statistics on bed blocking will include all blocked beds.

Cane Hill Secure Unit

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the security at the disused Medium Secure Unit at Cane Hill, Coulsdon, Croydon; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: As a result of recent incidents on the Cane Hill site a range of additional security measures have been agreed. These include the erection of steel palisade fencing around all redundant buildings and an increased security presence.

Nursing Accommodation

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are in hospital in England awaiting nursing accommodation at the latest available time.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 19 November 2001
	Information on delayed discharges of patients of all ages in England is collected centrally on a quarterly basis. Information on delays of patients awaiting nursing home placements is not separately identified.
	In September 2001 the number of all patients whose discharge was delayed due to awaiting nursing and residential placement was 1,442.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Freedom of Information Act

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date his Department established a working group of officials to prepare his Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up.

Michael Wills: My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor announced on 13 November that the publication scheme provisions of the Freedom of Information Act will be implemented for central Government in November 2002 at the start of a rolling programme across the public sector and that the right of access provisions of the Act will be implemented for all public authorities in January 2005.
	No such working group has yet been set up. We have a project plan outlining how FOI will be successfully implemented throughout the Department. We have already appointed an FOI champion at Board level and a full-time implementation project manager. Awareness training has already been held and more is planned. As part of the plan we will be setting up a working group of key officials and a network of staff to consider and advise on implementation issues for the Department.

Asset-freezing Order

Howard Flight: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many requests for legal aid have been received from persons disputing through the courts an asset-freezing order relating to the terrorist activities; and, what assessment she has made of the likely sums involved.

Rosie Winterton: The Legal Services Commission's Special Cases Unit, which would receive any request for funding in cases involving asset-freezing orders based on allegations of terrorist activities, has no record of receiving any such requests.